Mark of the Beast
by HiddenWhiteFang
Summary: Naruto believed there was no threat that could possibly come that was greater than Kaguya, but when the dead start rising, and three ninja come in teaching about gods and the Chosen Four, Naruto learns that his fate was never in his hands and he is destined to usher in an apocalypse that will end all life on the planet; But he can't accept that destiny for himself and the world.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

 _Author's note: Hello! Time to end the world! This story takes place about a year or so after the end of the war. Everything up to chapter 699 is still canon! This is kind of my version of The Last. Warning... This story is DARK! (but what story of mine isn't really?) Please enjoy!_

 _Chapter One: Return_

 _The field was absolutely beautiful. The wind made the tall grass ripple like water. A hill rose about the field in the center, creating something like a wave. The cloudless, sunny sky watched the peaceful meadow in silence. All seemed perfect._

 _At the edge of the meadow, where the grass met trees, a man stood in a long black cloak that flowed in the gentle wind. The man wore a hood over his face, rejecting the sunlight. In his hand was a staff with markings that were older than the world itself… He stepped into the meadow and made his way towards the hill in the center. The black cloak trailed behind him as he walked. Everywhere he stepped, the bright green grass wilted and turned to ash. As he made his way to the center, the meadow around him was plagued with the stench of death and decay._

 _He seemed unconcerned with the damage he was doing… All was well to him… as it should be. The wind picked up and grew more violent as he grew closer to his destination. Clouds the color of blood moved in from all directions, casting red shadows on the dying landscape. Before him was a striving meadow and behind him was an ashen wasteland._

 _As he climbed the hill, the crimson clouds covered the sun, snuffing out the light. He stood at the summit of the hill and looked around. Half the meadow was dead and the other half rippled in the wind like a sea in a storm. The man lifted his staff and slammed it on the ground. When it hit, the wave of death pushed away from him and the rest of the life in the area wilted away and died. The man released the staff, but it remained erect on its own. He removed the hood of his cloak_

 _The man closed his eyes and lifted his face to the red sky. A drop hit him on the cheek. He opened his piercing blue eyes as more drops fell. It was not water… It was blood. The man sighed deeply and removed the cloak. He held it out and released it into the wind where it vanished into nothingness. The man was completely bare beneath to cloak and nine fox tails whipped viciously in the wind. He raised his arms, being soaked in the crimson rain, but his bare skin was not stained. He still remained pale even while the world around him was painted red._

 _He opened his eyes and looked around him. They were coming in hordes from all directions… He gripped his staff as they came… the skeletal remains of hundreds of shinobi. Some still had flesh and clothes hanging limply on their bones, but most were white and bare. He smiled. The army stopped at the foot of the hill and, as if a signal went out to all of them, they lowered themselves to their knees and knelt to the tailed man on the hill. He smiled wider and laughed as red lightning created spider webs in the sky…_

Naruto woke, screaming bloody murder. He sat up, shaking violently and drenched in sweat. His breathing was heavy as if he had just run from there to the Sand village and back. He held his own hands, trying to stop the shaking. The dream had felt real; so real that he thought he could still smell the sickening, sweet and sour scent of rotting blood and flesh. The sweat the rolled down his bare skin felt like the drops of bloody rain rolling down his back. He hugged the blanket to his chest, trying to calm himself.

A knock on the door made Naruto jump. "Wh-who is it?" he called shakily.

"It's Sakura, you moron!" the person outside declared. "Did you forget, Naruto?" Sakura? Were they doing something that day? He closed his eyes. "I'm coming in!"

"N-no!" Naruto called. He didn't want Sakura to see him like this. He didn't want to describe the dream at all, but his warning came too late. Sakura opened the door and stepped inside his one room apartment. _I have to lock my door…_ he thought.

"Alright, Hero of the Leaf, let's-" she stopped. "Naruto! Are you okay?" She hurried to him and placed a hand on his forehead. He pulled back. Her hands were freezing against his fevered flesh. "You're burning up!"

"Probably just food poisoning," Naruto lied with a smile. "Don't worry about it. But, I did forget what we're doing today."

"You're teaching a class," Sakura reminded him. "Remember? Iruka asked you to teach a lesson on Shadow Clone jutsu, and I have a medical class to teach. But you don't look so good…"

"I'll be fine!" Naruto said with a smile. "I… just had a rough night, is all…"

"Oh?" Sakura looked worried, but decided not to argue, much to Naruto's relief.

"Yeah… Just let me get ready, okay?" Naruto said. He stood and walked to his closet to put on his black jacket with orange trim and his orange pants. He went into the bathroom and washed his face before stepping out. Sakura was observing the wall his bed was against. There were long gashes in the wood. "Ready?" he asked.

"Sure," Sakura muttered. "You sure you're okay?"

"Never better!" Naruto offered her a smile before quickly stepping outside. The sunlight blinded him, and for a moment all he saw were flames and all he heard were screams. Naruto shook his head and it all cleared, revealing a beautiful day. Sakura grabbed his shaking organic hand and smiled worriedly. "Actually… Tell Iruka I'll do it another day…" Naruto said, pulling his hand from Sakura's. "I… I'm really not feeling well today…"

Sakura frowned. "Do you want me to make you some soup or something?"

"No, no! Don't fret!" Naruto assured her. "I just need some rest, is all!"

"Alright… I'll send Hinata over to make you some ramen!"

"That won't be necessary!" Naruto gasped.

"Why? You like her cooking better than mine," Sakura countered. "And you really do look sick, Naruto. I wouldn't want you to be alone."

Naruto sighed deeply. "I'll go see Kakashi-sensei or something," he assured her. "Tell Iruka I'm sorry…"

"Well… if you're sure…" Sakura trailed off.

"I'm sure!" Naruto said with a smile. Sakura sighed and nodded, deciding to leave it alone for now.

"I'm going to come check on you later, got it?" she asked. "Try to get some rest."

Naruto nodded. Rest? Every time he closed his eyes, the gruesome scene plagued his mind. He couldn't get rid of it… He clenched his fists as Sakura walked away, leaving him alone. He got back into his bed and tried to relax, but he could not get rid of the dream. His whole apartment reeked of blood and death, which only proved to make him feel more ill.

Naruto sighed and eventually got up. He wasn't going to accomplish anything in there. Maybe he _should_ try to talk to Kakashi about the dream. He stood and left the apartment, but the fresh air outside didn't take away the smell of death. Naruto even thought he could taste the stuff in his mouth. His stomach cringed at the thought and he hurried forward, hoping to reach the Hokage mansion before another vision came out of nowhere.

Once inside the mansion, Naruto hurried to his teacher's office, ignoring the calls of the ANBU stationed throughout. He opened the door. Luckily Kakashi was alone in the room. "Sensei!"

"Naruto? Aren't you supposed to be at the academy today?" Kakashi asked. "What brings you here?"

"I… wanted to talk to you about something…"

"And teaching the students isn't as important as having a conversation with your teacher?" Kakashi inquired, but his mocking stopped when he seemed to notice how shaken up his student really was. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Naruto sat down. "I… just had a nightmare today…"

"Is that all?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto nodded and looked down at his hands. "It was vivid… and terrifying…"

"Did the whole village run out of ramen?" Kakashi teased, trying to lighten the boy's mood. His comment didn't even get a grin from Naruto. Naruto weaved his fingers together as he described, in vivid detail, his dream. Even as he spoke the words, he could see the scene, smell the blood, and touch the wilting grass. By the time he had finished his story, he was shaking and sweating again as if he had just woken up from the hellish realm again.

Kakashi blinked when the story was over. Naruto recognized the look of confusion and worry on his teacher's half exposed face.

"Dreams are dreams, Naruto…" Kakashi said. "For years after Rin died, I would wake up from nightmares… It could just be an extension of your trauma in the war…"

"But this much later?" Naruto protested. "I haven't had dreams like this before…" Kakashi sighed deeply. "It's not just the dream… I can _smell_ it… still!" Naruto protested. Now he sounded insane. "Sensei… Am I going crazy?"

"Of course not!" Kakashi assured him. "You've been there for years!" Naruto frowned. "I'm kidding! But if you feel so strongly about this, maybe you can discuss it with the toads, or some other summons that are pretty ancient."

"I guess," Naruto grumbled. He had hoped Kakashi would have some answers for him.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto. It's just a dream. Sometimes dreams are really vivid. I doubt it's anything to worry about."

"I guess…" Naruto said again. "I'm going to go get some ramen."

"For breakfast?" Kakashi said.

"This _is_ me we're talking about!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kakashi smiled. "Cheer up, kid! It's not the end of the world!"

* * *

The village looked so different… That was all the young girl could think about as she stood on the wall overlooking to area. Something must have happened to make it look so strange… _How long have I been gone…?_ She thought. Had she taken a longer look, she would have noticed the two extra faces on the monument, but that detail slipped her gaze in light of all the other jarring changes. She sighed and jumped down, sticking to the wall as she ran. She looked around, but no one looked familiar.

The layout of the village wasn't even the same. It was as if the whole place had been torn down and then rebuilt. Some things remained the in the same place, but all the buildings were new or repaired. The girl fiddled with the tie on her white apron. It was as if walking through a dream.

"U-um…" she called out, grabbing the hand of someone as they walked passed. "I-I need to speak with Namikaze Minato-sama…" she said. "C-can you tell me where I can find him…?"

The man she had asked stared down at her as if he were looking at a ghost. She blushed. The way he stared made her uncomfortable. "Young lady…" he said carefully. "Minato-sama died…"

The girl gasped and ripped her hand away from his. "That can't be true! I saw him just recently! The war is over!" she snapped. What a cruel joke to play on a young girl!

The man blinked. "Perhaps you should speak to Hokage-sama," the man suggested.

"I don't want to speak the Hiruzen-sama!" she snapped. "I want to speak to Minato!" She looked at his confused face and sighed. Perhaps visiting the Hokage would clear some things up. "Fine." The man took her hand and started towards the mansion. Even _that_ had changed! She stomped her foot in annoyance.

She followed her escort up the stairs and he opened the door. "Hokage-sama… there seems to be someone who is… lost here…"

"I'm busy, Kotetsu!" the Hokage said. Kotetsu…? She knew a Kotetsu…

"I think you should see this."

"Fine." The man opened the door wide and the girl stared blankly at the man in the room. It wasn't the Third Hokage, and it definitely wasn't Minato.

"K-Kakashi…?" she gasped. He stared at her, his eyes wide.

"Rin…?" He echoed her shocked and confused tone perfectly. It was a mercy that he was sitting down or the man might have fainted. "You're-" he trailed off

"-so old!" Rin finished her own thought as he found himself lost for words. She looked down at her young body, then back at his. She hadn't aged a day… but he had aged decades.

"-alive," Kakashi finished, breathless.

"Yeah… Why wouldn't be?" Rin asked, confused. "What's going on, Kakashi? Is this a transformation?" Kakashi shook his head. He stood and stumbled over to the young girl. He reached out and touched her hair and she pulled back.

"This isn't the Edo Tensei," Kakashi confirmed quietly.

"Of course it isn't!" Rin snapped. "What's going?!"

Kakashi swallowed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Rin… You died," he muttered. The girl shoved him away.

"Stop it!" she snapped.

"What is the last thing you remember…?" Kakashi asked hesitantly.

"We were on a mission in the Mist," Rin answered. She shook her head. The memory of what happened on that mission was fuzzy and the more she thought about it, the more her head hurt. "I… woke up on the banks of a river not far from here… Did I really… die…?" she asked. Kakashi nodded. The girl looked down, shaking. She didn't remember dying… she didn't remember any of it…! Kakashi reached towards her, but she slapped his hand away before darting out of the office.

"Rin!" Kakashi called desperately, but she ignored him. She ran through the streets of the village until she came to the graveyard. It, like everything else, was different, but she ran down the lines of plaques until she stumbled across the one she was looking for… _Nohara Rin…_ She bit her lip. There it was… _Her_ grave… She dropped to her knees before the polished stone. Her fingers traced the engraving in the warm stone. Rin bowed her head. How was this possible? How could she be dead?!

She didn't even notice the tears at first… It wasn't until she noticed that the stone was wet that she realized she was crying. The girl hugged her chest and rocked back until she was sitting on her ankles. What had happened? How did she die? She buried her face in her hands and wept quietly. A Shinobi shouldn't cry, she knew that, but she also didn't care.

Gentle hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against a chest. She looked up. "Kakashi…?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry…" Kakashi said. They stayed in silence there for what seemed like hours. Rin rested her head against his chest.

"Hokage…?" Rin asked eventually, with a smile. "Did they run out of candidates?

"Hey…!" Kakashi snapped playfully. Her teasing was nice, even if it was a deflection from the real problem; her resurrection

"I'm just saying! Or are you just doing it because Obito wanted to be Hokage?"

"Both…" Kakashi muttered. Rin smiled and pushed off the man. He reached up and dried her tears.

"I died?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, then why am I here?"

"That I don't know…" Kakashi muttered. "But, for now, it might be best if you didn't talk to anyone… at least until we figure this out"

"Well, where am I going to stay? It's been how many years? I doubt my house is still here."

"About that…" Kakashi smiled sheepishly. "The village was kind of destroyed…"

Rin blinked, then sighed. "This is why you can't have nice things. What happened?"

"It's… a _really_ long story…" Kakashi said. "There will be plenty of time for that. For now, you and I should probably get you inside. You can stay with me… if you want," he added quickly.

Rin smiled. She hardly thought of it as an older man inviting her into his home. She only saw her friend. "That sounds fine," she said. Kakashi stood and offered his hand to her. She gripped it tightly and stood. "Let's go, then, _Hokage-sama!"_ Kakashi held her hand comfortingly and the two headed out of the cemetery.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he finished his third bowl of ramen. "Another!" he ordered happily.

"Hey, kid, slow down," Iruka teased. Naruto smiled at the man. Being with Iruka made the whole nightmare seem less real. "So is this why you bailed on me today? So I would be worried about you and take you out for ramen?" Iruka asked.

"No. I really did feel sick this morning."

"But you seem better now," Iruka pointed out with a smile. "You really do have to teach a lesson on Shadow Clones. The students would love to see you make a hundred of them."

"I wouldn't want to show off," Naruto muttered sheepishly.

"Why not?" Iruka asked. Naruto sighed and stood just as his fourth bowl was delivered. He stared down at the ramen before smiling and returning to his seat. "Naruto? Something's wrong, isn't it?"

Naruto stirred the broth as he waited for it to cool. "I guess you could say I'm distracted," he confessed quietly.

"Why? Did something happen?" Iruka asked.

"I had a dream," Naruto muttered. He knew how it must sound to be this worked up over a dream, but the feeling of dread had never left him. He still felt sick every time he tried to recall that horrible dream.

"Do you want to talk about?" Iruka asked kindly.

Naruto sighed and described what he had seen in his dream. How he had been a bringer of death and had led an army of undead soldiers. "Kakashi-sensei says it might just be post-traumatic stress from the war," he offered when he was finished.

"That could be it," Iruka agreed after a couple minutes of silence. "Do you think that's all it is?"

"No," Naruto grumbled. "I don't. I haven't had any sort of stress because of the war, and no one else seems too effected by it."

"Maybe you should talk to Sakura," Iruka suggested. Lately the medical ninja had been working on establishing therapy centers for children. She had been working with therapists in the village to create these centers. "She'd help you if you'll let her."

Naruto sighed and took a bite of the ramen. It tasted disgusting, but he ignored it. He knew it wasn't the ramen that tasted bad, it was the memory of the dream that was tainting his meal. "I guess," he grumbled. It was a good idea, but the thought of worrying everyone didn't sit well with him. What right did he, the Hero of the Leaf, have to be scared?

Iruka sighed and the two finished their meal in silence. Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. "No, you aren't paying," Iruka protested.

"I'd rather pay," Naruto muttered. He laid the coins on the counter and walked out of the shop, ignoring Iruka's attempts to bring him back in. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked down the street quietly, ignoring anyone who tried to speak with him.

 _This is stupid,_ he thought as he kicked a rock. _I shouldn't be so worked up over a dream. I've had nightmares before; why is this one worth my attention?_ He kicked the rock again and sent it flying. He winced as it hit a window, cracking it. He quickly looked around to make sure no one saw what he had done and then he walked away with his head down.

"Oi! Naruto! Wait up!"

Naruto stopped and waited for whoever was calling him to catch up. "Oh. Hey Shikamaru," he muttered.

"What's up with you?" Shikamaru asked. "I've been trying to get your attention for a couple minutes. Lost in thought?"

"I guess."

"That's not a good place to be lost," Shikamaru said. Naruto stared on. "Anyway… Kakashi wants you see you in his office if you've got a second."

"Yeah, I got a second." Maybe it would be a good distraction for him. Naruto had a destination, at least. Just as he turned, however, he caught a glimpse of yellow hair passing by not far from him. For a moment, all he could do was stare. Throughout the day he had been having vivid hallucinations relating to his dream, so his first, and most logical thought was that this was another fear induced vision. Surely he wasn't really seeing his father roaming the streets of Konoha.

"Shikamaru?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Hm? What's up?"

The other shinobi didn't seem to see what he was seeing, so Naruto shrugged. "Nothing. Let's go." He started for the Hokage's office silently, keeping his eyes searching for the yellow hair he had seen. Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks when they approached the Hokage mansion and Naruto stopped beside him. Naruto couldn't believe his eyes, but he also couldn't deny what was standing right in front of him. "D-dad…?" Naruto whimpered like a scared child.

"Hokage-sama," Shikamaru breathed, confirming to Naruto that this wasn't some hallucination. The man before them was indeed the Fourth Hokage. Naruto bit his lip and took a step back as if the man before them was a threat.

"I… seem to be a bit lost," Minato muttered, looking at the two boys harshly. His eyes stayed on Naruto for a moment longer than Naruto was comfortable with.

"Naruto, that's-"

"Did you say Naruto?" Minato asked. His bright blue eyes widened. "Naruto-kun? Is it really you?" Naruto bit his lip and nodded. He searched for any signs that this was a jutsu, but he could not sense the Edo Tensei on his father. The man before them appeared just as Minato had in life. "Naruto… My son," Minato breathed quietly. He walked towards the child and the two stared at each other. Minato didn't recognize him. It was as if he didn't remember their encounters both during Pain's attack and the war.

Before Naruto could utter a word he was being pulled into a tight hug. Naruto stayed stiff for a moment before he too embraced the man before him. "Dad," he whispered.

"What's going on?" Minato asked quietly. "Last I saw you, you were a screaming baby boy. Now you're a grown man!" Minato held the boy at arm's length and looked him over. "How is this possible?"

Naruto shook his head. He turned to Shikamaru with wide, pleading eyes. The other shinobi shrugged, offering no explanation. The man holding him was _alive._ He had felt the heartbeat in his chest during the hug and he felt the man's breath on his skin. The body was warm and comforting. This was no jutsu he had ever seen. "I don't know," was all Naruto could manage.

"How old are you?" Minato asked eagerly.

"Eighteen," Naruto answered carefully. This news drained the color from Minato's face.

"Eighteen… And I haven't aged a day. How?"

Naruto bit his lip and looked away. How was he going to tell his father that he had died? How would that subject even be breached? There were no lessons in teaching you how to tell your loved ones that they had died and now were back from the dead.

He was saved from having to answer by a disturbance behind them. Naruto thought at first that Minato had been spotted and people were gathering, but that wasn't the case. He turned around and saw three people walking towards them. It was two children, one male and one female, with an adult. The boy had skin the color of paper and hair as colorless as the rest of his body. Even his clothes, a white robe, was colorless and plain.

The girl wasn't as pale as her younger male counterpart, but she too looked like she would do well to spend some time in the sun. She was skinny to the point where Naruto would be slightly concerned, though she wasn't emaciated. Her hair was a dirty blonde.

The man was the most interesting of the trio. He was tall and had an air of power surrounding him without being too overbearing. While he wasn't overly muscular, he still looked like he could snap an arm like it was a twig. His long black hair flowed behind him and his black silk kimono brushed the dirt beneath him.

Naruto blinked at the three visitors as they stopped in front of his own trio. Minato placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder to reassure him. The eldest of the trio looked at Naruto. "It _is_ you," he whispered with tears beginning to well in his eyes.

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked.

The man grabbed Naruto's hand and kissed it. The two children bowed deeply and their adult companion dropped to his knees. "Seifuku," he said quietly. He released Naruto's hand and lowed his forehead to the dirt on the ground in the deepest bow. "I have waited one hundred lifetimes for you… The Conqueror…"

 _Author's note: Look! Dead people! XD So, yeah, this is a SUPER old story that I started over a year ago. I have the first few chapters already written, and some people wanted to read it, so I decided to go ahead and post it tonight. I might be killing myself with fics right now, but like I said, this one already has a few chapters under its belt. Enjoy!_


	2. Till Death

_Author's Note:Good response for this story! Yay!_

 _Chapter Two: Till Death_

 _Day One_

Naruto stared down at the man on the ground. The two children had also dropped to their knees. "What?" he said, confused.

The man stood, but kept his head down. "It has been so long, Seifuku," he said. His voice seemed to be cracking with emotion. "I thought I had truly gone mad when I felt your presence during the war! It could not be you, but…! Here you are!" The man leaned forward and kissed Naruto on the cheek.

The boy shoved the man away and Minato and Shikamaru both reached for their weapons. "Who are you?" Naruto snapped, rubbing his cheek.

"You do not remember?" the man said, dejected. "No. Of course you wouldn't." He sighed and waved his hand. "This must all be confusing to you, Seifuku. My apologies. I sometimes forget that you all are not as unfortunate as I." He bowed deeply. "My name is Datenshi, and my children are Haka," he pointed to the boy, "and Kiga," he pointed to the girl. "I have waited an eternity for you, Seifuku."

"The name's Naruto."

"In this life," Datenshi muttered offhandedly.

Naruto turned to Minato, then to the trio, then Shikamaru. "Perhaps we should go visit Kakashi-sama," Shikamaru suggested.

"We need not speak with the leader of this village," Datenshi said quickly. "We have much work to do, Seifuku, and not much time to complete it!"

"My name is _not_ Seifuku!" Naruto snapped. "What are you here for?"

Datenshi sighed deeply and bowed his head. "You truly are lost, my child," he muttered.

"That's my son you're talking about," Minato growled dangerously.

"Yes, yes, of course," Datenshi said.

"Have you had the vision…?" Haka whispered. His voice was dry and small. Naruto couldn't imagine that child ever yelling.

"The vision?"

"Yes. A hellish nightmare, so vivid you can feel it even when you wake."

Naruto's eyes widened, but he didn't answer verbally. His expression was all they needed. "You've had the vision?" Datenshi gasped. "We haven't much time at all! We must make haste!"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto snapped. His father was all but forgotten by that time.

"We should really see the Hokage," Shikamaru suggested, trying to move this odd reunion out of the street.

"Fine, fine, we will speak to your Hokage!" Datenshi snapped. Shikamaru nodded and started for the office. The trio followed silently and Naruto and his father filed in behind them.

"So, dad—"

"I died, didn't I?" Minato asked suddenly. Naruto jumped, then nodded. "I thought so. That's the only explanation. But this isn't an Edo Tensei."

"No, it's not. But I think those three have something to do with this."

"So you don't know them, then," Minato observed. Naruto nodded. "Kakashi's Hokage?"

"It's a long story," Naruto muttered.

"I see. How is your mother fairing?" Naruto bit his lip and bowed his head. His father truly remembered nothing about that day except his birth, it seemed. "I see…" Minato rested his hand on Naruto's back. "I'm so sorry, Naruto."

"It's okay." Naruto grumbled. He had already gone through the pain of his parents apologizing for leaving him, and he wasn't ready to go through it again. "I've learned to endure."

"You shouldn't have had to," Minato muttered. "Do you know how it happened?"

 _Yeah. Kakashi killed your old student's girlfriend and he went insane, so he ripped Kurama out of mom, then attacked the village with it, and you two died sealing the fox in your own son,_ Naruto thought, but he shook his head. "Can we talk about this later?" he asked.

Minato closed his eyes with a soft sigh. "Sure."

They lapsed into silence until they stepped into Kakashi's office. "Sensei?!" Kakashi gasped completely ignoring the three interlopers.

"Sensei!" a young girl called. She ran to Minato and hugged him tightly. Minato smiled and picked her up. Naruto blinked. He had seen the girl in Obito's memories.

"Rin?"

"This is pleasant and all, but I was brought up here to speak with you," Datenshi said quickly. "We haven't much time, Hokage-san."

Kakashi finally looked at the three strangers. He turned to Minato and Rin. "I'll be right with you two," he muttered. He turned to Datenshi. "Much time? For what?"

"The End, my dear man! The End!"

Naruto instantly stiffened. Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "The End of what?"

"The world! Goodness, man, must I spell everything out for you?"

The air in the room instantly changed from confusion to tension. All the Shinobi in the room froze and stared at the trio. "You aren't the first man to claim he's bringing about the end of the world," Kakashi growled.

"Yes, but I am the first who _means_ it!" Datenshi said with a shrug. "Now that we four have come together, the end must begin!"

"'We four…?'" Kakashi repeated. "There's only three of you."

Datenshi pointed to Naruto. "Seifuku is the Fourth!" Naruto felt a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. "He has already had the vision! There is not much time to prepare, Hokage-san! We must prepare the world for its demise!"

"Who is Seifuku?" Kakashi asked, holding up his hands.

Datenshi let out an exasperated sigh and pointed more forcefully at Naruto. "Seifuku, The Conqueror! He is what we have been waiting for this whole time!"

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked.

"We will explain everything, Seifuku," Datenshi said, annoyed. "But these mortals don't need to hear it."

"We mortals would love to hear it," Kakashi snapped.

"There's no point. There's no stopping it," Datenshi said with a shrug. The two children behind him nodded slowly… sadly.

"Stopping what?"

"The Revelation!" Datenshi announced, throwing his hand in the air. "It is finally time to return the world to its natural state! You humans have been judged and deemed unworthy. It is time judgment is passed on this wretched world."

"Great… Another one," Kakashi grumbled. Naruto blinked and turned slightly. An ANBU was standing in the doorway silently, his weapon drawn. Kakashi blinked and the man rush forward, driving the blade into Datenshi's chest. The man gasped and the two children back away, frightened.

"Don't hurt the kids," Naruto gasped quickly. He was certain that they were being forced to do this. The ANBU twisted the weapon in the man's chest. Bright red blood poured from the wound, staining to floor. A violent shudder passed through the man's body. He opened his mouth to speak, but blood gushed out instead. He let out a long sigh and then slumped onto the floor.

"Well," Kakashi muttered as he stepped cautiously over to the body. "Good job," he said to the ANBU. "You might have just prevented another international incident." He turned to the children. "Get those two to the interrogation squad and figure out who this man was working for and how many they have left."

"Yes sir!" The ANBU said. Before he moved away, laughter came from the dead body on the ground. In a flash of movement that would make Minato jealous, Datenshi was back on his feet and holding the ANBU member in the air by his throat.

"Don't!" Kakashi shouted, but a sickening crack echoed in the room and the ANBU stopped struggling. Datenshi released the man and watched him fall to the ground with satisfaction. He looked down at his own wound before pulled the sword out of his flesh. Blood oozed from the open wound, but after a moment, it stopped.

"Now," Datenshi started, "where were we?"

"You monster!" Naruto shouted. He ran at the man, but instead of ending up attacking, he was brought into an awkward embrace.

"I wish I had gotten to you sooner, my child," he said sweetly. Naruto could smell the man's blood and he felt it, hot and sticky, on his face. "You care too much for them. I needed more time to train you, boy, but we haven't the time for that now." Naruto punched the man and backed away, feeling physically sick at having been so close to the man. "You fight, Seifuku, but you cannot escape your destiny. You are one of the Four; the Conqueror. Together, we will bring an end to the suffering of this world. Can you not hear it crying for release?" Naruto narrowed his eyes. Datenshi turned to Kakashi, who was watching with a look mixed with disgust and horror. He opened his mouth and suddenly began speaking a language that had been dead for hundreds of years. Naruto narrowed his eyes, but then widened them as he realized he could understand the words.

" _Four will rise and bring release to this world,"_ the words said. _"They will bring about the end… Everything with a beginning must have an ending. You cannot stop it. Struggle, mortals, but accept death's embrace when it comes for you. On the seventh hour of the seventh day, Rapture will happen, the Four will Ride and with them, the eternal night will follow. The sun sets on the human race in seven days!"_

The language had a rhythm to it that was almost like music; both hypnotic and unsettling. Naruto looked around as he realized that Kakashi and Shikamaru seemed frozen in place, staring blankly ahead of them. Rin and Minato also seemed affected by the words. Datenshi turned to Naruto. "You will begin to understand soon, Seifuku," he assured the boy. "This is your destiny. Even if you do not believe that it is, you will rise with us. You cannot escape it." Datenshi walked up to Naruto. The boy stood there, shaking like a leaf. He wanted to shout, to yell; to do anything besides stand there as he was approached, but stand he did.

Datenshi put a hand on Naruto's chin and lifted it. He stooped down and kissed the young man. Naruto's eyes widened, but he didn't pull away until he was released. He fell back, feeling cold and sick inside. He dropped to his knees, coughing and spitting violently as if he had been poisoned.

The spell in the room was broken.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called, rushing to the boy's side. Datenshi, Haka and Kiga were gone. "Shikamaru, find them!" The Nara nodded and departed without a word. Naruto grabbed his throat, trying to rid himself of the coolness that filled his body, but it was only spreading. He collapsed on the floor, shaking uncontrollably. "Get a medic!" Kakashi screamed.

Minato knelt beside them and took Naruto into his arms. His father's warmth did nothing to stop his shaking. Naruto clung to his father desperately and Minato hugging him tightly, trying everything to comfort him. As the medics ran in, Naruto found himself drifting until he finally found warmth in unconsciousness.

* * *

 _Day Two: Midnight_

 _The silence was deafening. He could hear nothing despite standing in the midst of a busy street. Naruto looked around him. He didn't recognize the city, but it was primitive. Each building rested several feet into the ground with stairs leading to the front door. The roofs were woven leaves and twigs. A chilly wind passed through the area, but only Naruto seemed to notice. He looked at the clothes of the people as they walked by. They were peasants' clothes; filthy and torn. The whole area seemed to predate anything he had ever seen, even in history books._

 _Naruto blinked and turned around slowly. The people were talking to each other and their lips moved in a way that he could not read them. It was another language that he had never heard before. It wasn't the same one that Datenshi had spoken earlier. Naruto started walking forward, bumping into people and muttering his awkward and silent apology to them._

 _Eventually Naruto came to a house that, oddly enough, seemed familiar to him, as if he had once seen it in a photo long forgotten. He walked down the steps to the front door and opened it without knocking. The floor was dirt and every piece of furniture was crudely hand-crafted. He shut the door behind him and then turned to look around._

 _He was not alone in the house. A brunette stood on the other side of the room, staring out of the window at the feet as they passed by. Naruto stepped towards the other person, but stopped when the other one turned. The person was a man with his long brown hair gathered near the end in a tie. Naruto blinked. The other man was handsome despite the slightly thin face due from either illness or lack of food. The man cocked his head at his visitor and reached out his hand. His lips moved, but again Naruto heard nothing and could not read the movements. He shook his head and stepped forward, reaching out his own hand to grab the other man's._

 _He pulled back, however, when he realized that the hand was stained in blood. Naruto gasped and looked up at the man's face. Blood leaked from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears, but he still smiled welcomingly. Naruto pulled back his hand and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the blood was gone and the hand was no longer outstretched. The brunette sighed deeply and shook his head. He waved his hand, motioning Naruto to leave._

* * *

Naruto blinked his eyes open. He recognized his own bedroom. He sighed and slowly sat up. Sakura was there, sleeping soundly in a chair with her head resting on his bed. He heard voices outside, but couldn't quite make them out. Silently, so not to wake Sakura, he moved out of the bed and over to the door.

"I don't get it either," Kakashi was saying. "They just vanished."

"They left no trace?" This voice belonged to Minato.

"None. Shikamaru had an entire patrol searching."

Naruto opened the door slowly. "Dad… Sensei?"

"Naruto! You should be in bed!" Minato gasped as he hurried over to the boy. "You look terrible. Are you still cold?"

"No," Naruto muttered, turning away. He wasn't used to being fussed over. Minato smiled down at his son. "I'm fine, dad," he grumbled. "We have to talk about these guys… They think I'm part of this somehow."

"I know," Kakashi said. "But you aren't."

"He thought he knew me," Naruto argued.

"He's clearly confused," Minato said. "We can't act like any of this is true. There's no way that man and those kids can just end the world like he said they can!"

"But," Naruto interrupted, "Rin-chan and you are alive again. What if they had something to do with that?" They had seen the man die and then rise up as if nothing had happened to him. There was clearly a reason why the dead were coming back to life, and Naruto didn't like it. "We have to find him before anything happens!"

"I agree," Kakashi answered with a nod. "However, I know they will come back for you. We need a guard on you at all times."

Naruto's eyes widened. He remembered vividly how quickly Datenshi had killed the ANBU member without hesitation. "No," he protested. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt! I'll be okay by myself!"

"No," Kakashi said quickly. "You're clearly important to them! Maybe they're after Kurama."

"Kurama?" Minato asked. Kakashi sighed and Naruto bowed his head. Apparently that subject hadn't been touched yet.

"We'll explain that later, sensei," Kakashi assured the man.

"I don't think it's Kurama they're after. He kept calling me "Seifuku" and mentioned something about Naruto being my name in _this_ life."

Kakashi nodded. "It could be that he's mistaken you for someone else."

"He said he had felt my presence in the war," Naruto continued. "Not my chakra."

"And I felt no chakra signal in any of them," Minato quickly interjected.

"Not even when he rose up after being stabbed," Kakashi said with a nod. They obviously weren't dealing with a jutsu like Obito's. The weapon wouldn't have made him bleed if it was something like that, and Naruto had felt the man's hot blood on his face.

"But he _did_ bleed," Naruto pointed out.

Kakashi sighed. "The only way to figure this out is to find him and interrogate him."

"He'll be back for me," Naruto said quietly. "Maybe we set up a trap?"

"No!" Minato snapped. "You won't use my son as bait!"

"Dad, please," Naruto groaned. Unfortunately for him, Minato still saw him as the helpless infant he had been. The man knew nothing about his power now. "I'll be fine. Tell him, sensei!"

"He really will," Kakashi agreed. "But we wouldn't let him go in alone, don't worry. We'll set up this trap in the morning."

"We don't have time," Naruto said. "He said that we had seven days until this end he keeps preaching about. I don't want to know what happens on the seventh day. We move now."

Kakashi and Minato looked at Naruto before nodded. "Move?" Sakura asked as she stepped outside, rubbing her eye to remove the sleep. "What's happening?"

"Naruto is going to help capture those strangers in the village," Kakashi explained. "I want you to stay here, Sakura."

The pinkette narrowed her eyes. "No," she said. "I won't let you use Naruto like that without me backing him up!"

Kakashi sighed deeply and Naruto smiled. The poor man never could make his students cooperate. "Fine. Meet me at the gates in an hour, all of you! I'll have a team ready to capture this man when he comes." Naruto nodded and watched the Hokage leave with a sigh. He turned to Minato. "You really don't have to worry about me, dad," he said with a smile. "I really can take care of myself. When we're finished with this guy, we're going to have to catch up, okay?"

Minato nodded and smiled. "I look forward to it. Is the ramen stand still opened?"

"You bet!"

"Good! Then we'll go get some ramen afterward!"

Naruto nodded and smiled. He turned to Sakura. "I would feel better if you didn't come. Sasuke would kill me if I let something happen to you." His sentence was greeted by a punch in the shoulder that stung, but didn't send him flying.

"I can handle myself, Hero," Sakura snapped playfully. "Should we gather our own team?"

"No," Naruto said quickly. "I don't want anyone else involved in this!"

Sakura sighed. "Always so willing to preach teamwork, but never willing to follow it," she muttered.

"I will acknowledge when I need help," Naruto protested, "and I don't need help right now. Let's go!"

An hour later Naruto stood at the gates. There were twelve ANBU in all, plus Minato, Kakashi and Sakura. Shikamaru had been sent home and Sakura was under strict orders that she was only to help if Naruto needed medical attention. They were all hidden and waiting. "Datenshi!" Naruto called out into the night.

As if he had been waiting, the man and the two children appeared before Naruto. "Have you come to your senses, Seifuku?" he asked.

"No. But I do have some questions."

"We haven't the time to explain everything! The sun rises on the second day in mere hours! We _must_ hurry!"

"First you tell me what's happening, then we'll talk about me leaving with you." Naruto could imagine Kakashi's anger. He was only meant to lure them out, not have a conversation, but if anyone made a move, Naruto was sure more death would follow.

"Fine, fine! You were always so pushy," Datenshi said. He looked at Kiga and Haka. "You two keep an eye out for anyone else. I must speak alone with our comrade." The two children nodded and walked away. Naruto bit his lip. "I had hoped you would have regained your memories with the visions, as they had," Datenshi muttered, motioning to the children. "However, thus is not the case."

"Sorry," Naruto grumbled. "So, can you explain any of this?"

"Yes, of course. We are the Chosen Four meant to bring about the End of the World… The Revelation."

Naruto nodded. He had to keep him talking. "What is this "seventh day" stuff? What happens in a week?"

"Each day brings about a new plague," Datenshi explained. "On the seventh day, it will all end, and the world will end with it. All life will be stilled on this planet. It will be a blank slate to restart the world."

"How? If everyone's dead…"

"I don't pretend to understand the ramblings of a mad god," Datenshi muttered.

"Well, okay… Day one was what?"

"The dead will begin to rise," Datenshi said with a nod. "That would be Haka's doing."

Naruto blinked. Why raise the dead only to kill them again? It made no sense. "Day two?"

"The Blood Orb."

"Day Three?"

"The sun will burn human flesh," he sighed and waved his hand impatiently. "You just want this information to help your people."

"Yes," Naruto admitted.

"There's no point. They can't stop it, and they won't survive it. I could give them all the details, but they will still die. Why fight it?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Why are you doing this?" He didn't believe that they would be wiped out.

"We are merely servants to a much larger power. Destiny holds you, Seifuku. It would be best if you did not fight it."

"I have no intention of helping you," Naruto snapped.

"Fortunately for us, Seifuku, we don't need you until the seventh day, where you will fulfill your destiny."

"Then why do you need me at all?" Naruto asked.

"Because you are the missing piece… But I should not reveal your destiny now. No, when your memories return, you will understand. So if you want answers, all you must do is search inside yourself." He smiled devilishly and Naruto narrowed his eyes. His mind went back to the house and the brunette that he had encountered in his dream. He had been shooed away as if he wasn't supposed to be there.

 _Maybe_ that's _who I need to talk to,_ he thought. _But how do I get back to that house?_

"You can tell your comrades that I will not go quietly if they wish to interrogate me," Datenshi said, breaking through Naruto's thoughts. "And I have no problem killing them all."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He turned as Kiga and Haka returned behind him. The girl looked fierce, but the boy looked timid. _Maybe I can get him alone,_ Naruto thought. He reached out and grabbed Haka's arm as he walked past. Pain suddenly erupted in his body. He opened his mouth to scream, but his mouth felt like it was full of dirt that was pushing its way into his lungs. He released the child and stumbled back, coughing.

"I am sorry," the boy whispered timidly. "Please, do not touch me."

Naruto held his chest as his mind tried to figure out why he had just been buried alive. By the time he had recovered, they trio was gone. Kakashi was by his side in an instant. "What happened?"

"Nothing. He told me enough information. He said that today is the "Blood Orb" and tomorrow the sun will burn flesh. He didn't go into a lot of detail."

"Can we trust his words?" Sakura asked.

"Can we afford not to?" Kakashi responded. "We have to get everyone underground! If what we says is true, we have a little more than twenty-four hours before whatever this is happens."

"We have to warn the other villages!" Naruto gasped. Suddenly he realized what this was going to mean. How could they warn _everyone_ about this? They had made massive leaps in technology so they wouldn't be relying on messenger birds to bring the message, but they wouldn't be able to reach everyone, and that meant leaving people in the dark about this. He began to shake.

"We can't think about that right now, Naruto," Kakashi muttered. "We have to save our own."

"We have to warn the other villages!" Naruto growled. He wouldn't just sit on this information, even if he had to teleport to each village himself.

Kakashi relented. "Fine."

"And what about Sasuke?!" Naruto snapped suddenly. They had no idea where Sasuke was.

"I don't know," Kakashi muttered. "I don't know, Naruto, but we don't have a lot time!"

Naruto nodded and clenched his fists. He wouldn't let this world end.


	3. Falling Slowly

_Author's Note: Thus ends the prewritten chapters! Which means updates might slow down to one a week, though I'll try to write faster for you!_

 _Chapter Three: Falling Slowly_

 _Day Two: Hour Three_

Naruto rubbed his eyes as he walked through the streets of the village. For the middle of the night, it was busy. The ANBU were more active than Naruto was comfortable with, but so far there was no wide-spread panic as of yet. Naruto shoved his hands in his pocket and stopped in front of his destination; the library. He wasn't sure why Kakashi had sent him of all people to be the researcher, but he figured it had something to do with the fact that he knew better than anyone else what he should be looking for.

He opened the door. "Hello?" he called softly.

"Oh! Someone's here? At this hour?" A woman hurried over to him and smiled. "Hello, Naruto-san! What brings you here tonight?"

"Just looking," Naruto lied. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone the details.

"I see, I see! Well, I'm busy working on cataloging, so if you need me, just call!"

"Thanks…" Naruto sighed and looked at the wall to ceiling shelves filled with books and the occasional scroll. A lot of the books were new or damaged after the attack. _Where would it be?_

"N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto turned around and offered a small smile. "Hey, Hinata," he muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Kakashi-sama asked me to help you," Hinata said quietly.

"He woke you up just to help me find some old books?" She nodded.

"He said you might get lost."

Naruto's smile widened some. Kakashi knew him perfectly. "Well, thanks." He responded. "Did Kakashi also tell you what's happening?"

"No."

Naruto sighed and looked around. The librarian was gone by that point. "I'll tell you, but please don't freak out." She nodded. He took a deep breath and then dove into the story of the horrific dream he had suffered, then his meeting with his father and Datenshi, ending at his final encounter where they learned the details of what to prepare for. "Kakashi-sensei sent me here in hopes that we have some scrolls that remotely mention an apocalypse like the one Datenshi says is coming."

Hinata stared at Naruto for a long moment and Naruto was beginning to regret his choice to tell her. "We're in the wrong section." She said eventually. "These are all recent books. If what you say is true, then these scrolls we're looking for would be ancient." She lifted her head. "Um, miss!" she called. The librarian hurried over. "Do you happen to have any _really_ old scrolls here?"

The woman blinked. "How old?" she asked.

"Ancient," Naruto said. "Pre=Sage of Six Paths."

The librarian laughed and shook her head. "Hmm... I'm not sure if we have something that old in our archives… Maybe in the capitol, but nothing here." Naruto frowned. "But," she said quickly after a moment in thought, "we do have some pretty ancient texts if you want. They're written in some dead languages, so I don't know how much use they'll be."

Naruto remembered that when Datenshi had spoken another language, he had understood it. "Maybe they had illustrations," he suggested.

"Perhaps," the woman said. She grabbed a flashlight and motioned Naruto and Hinata to follow. They looked at each other, shrugged, and followed silently. She took them to a back door and then into a cellar.

"Underground?" Naruto asked.

"You bet! It's why this room survived Pain's attack." Naruto nodded slowly. They walked down for several minutes before final coming to another room. They opened the door and all stepped into what looked like an airlock for an ICU room. She turned and handed them gloves, surgical masks and coats to cover their clothing.

"A bit much," Naruto muttered.

"Of course it is!" the woman gasped. "These scrolls are ancient! The oils in your skin will ruin the old parchment, and your breath has too much moisture! We can't have you breathing on these old texts!" Finally, after Naruto and Hinata had prepared themselves to step into the room, she opened the other door. She walked around and lit lanterns on the walls.

"No electricity?" Naruto asked.

"Not really. Not for the lights, at least," she answered. "We have ways to keep the air dry down here so that the books aren't ruined in anyway." Naruto nodded and looked around the room. Scrolls were delicately placed on shelves in the walls. A small table sat in the middle of the large room. "Be careful with them, please, and take all the time you need."

She bowed and then left. Naruto looked at Hinata. "Guess we should get started," he muttered. Hinata nodded slowly. Naruto walked down the wall, reading the labels. Some made no sense to him, and others were about periods in history that he hadn't been paying attention to. "This is pointless," Naruto grumbled. It would take days to go through these scrolls and they didn't have that amount of time.

"It's not pointless, Naruto-kun," Hinata assured the boy. "We just have to find the right scroll."

"We don't even know what we're looking for…"

"I know," Hinata said, "but we have to find it."

Naruto nodded. He stopped by a certain scroll rack and reached gingerly to lift one of the scrolls from its position. He stared at the strange characters written on the parchment. Something about it seemed to draw him to that scroll. The hand writing seemed oddly familiar, like he had written it as a child and had long since forgotten how he used to write. "Hinata," he called quietly. She hurried over. "Can you read this?" He pointed to the letters that labeled the scroll.

"No," Hinata admitted after a moment. Naruto looked back down at the scroll. He could read it just as easily as he could read one of Jiraiya's books. But Hinata couldn't read it. He closed his eyes and took the scroll to the table. It was smooth marble to prevent splinters from ripping the paper. He unrolled the scroll. The characters were written meticulously. Naruto looked down at the characters silently, trying to make sense of what he was reading.

It seemed to him to be poetry or a song. It didn't make any sense to Naruto at all. He read over the words again and again, but found no meaning in them. He sighed. "Hinata," he called. The girl hurried to his side. Naruto began reading the lyrics out loud for the girl. She closed her eyes as she listened.

"It's beautiful." She whispered when he finished. "Is that what it says?"

Naruto nodded. "But I don't understand it at all."

"It's a story," Hinata whispered. "A story of two brothers."

"I thought it was about two stones in a river bed," Naruto grumbled.

Hinata smiled warmly. "Here. It says that two stones lay side by side on dry land, right?" Naruto nodded. "And when it rains, the riverbed fills with water and the water rushes over the stones, eating away at them, taking a new layer…"

"Until one stone is turned to sand for the riverbed," Naruto finished, "but the other was a diamond all along."

Hinata nodded. "The world was once perfect and the two stones enjoyed the sunlight, but then the rain came…"

Naruto closed his eyes and looked away. The song was more beautiful now. But why would he be drawn to this story? What did a riverbed of rocks have to do with any of this?

They continued to search through the scrolls, but Naruto never felt drawn to another one after that first one. "We should get going," he grumbled eventually. He looked down at the scroll that held the poem and sighed before placing it in his jacket.

"Naruto!" Hinata gasped. Naruto sighed.

"It's not like anyone else is going to read it…"

"I guess…"

The two started out of the library and Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. The sun was just coming up over the horizon and it was blood red. Naruto's eyes widened. It was true. Around him, the villagers were panicking slightly as they noticed the bloody sun on the horizon. Hinata grabbed Naruto's arm fearfully. "Don't worry," Naruto assured her. _So it's true,_ he though dismally. Today the sun would burn red, bathing the world in blood. Tomorrow it would burn the living flesh. Naruto clenched his fists. "Come on! Let's go!"

* * *

Kakashi narrowed his eyes as he stared out into the horizon. It was coming, just as the man had said. Minato and Rin had been given a place to sleep, but he was certain neither one of them were sleeping. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes in worry. What were they going to do? What _could_ they do?

"Sensei!"

Kakashi turned as Naruto ran in, putting down a scroll on his desk. The boy opened it without caring about the oils in his skin. Kakashi looked down at the text and shook his head. He didn't recognize the characters that made up the words. "What is this?"

"A story," Hinata answered calmly.

"About two rocks!"

"Brothers," Hinata corrected.

"Can you read this?" Kakashi asked, dumbfounded. Naruto could hardly read Kanji, let alone whatever language this was.

"Yeah! It's hard to explain, but it's like I've always been able to read it!"

Kakashi looked over the scroll and shook his head. "What does it tell us?"

"That rocks turn into sand," Naruto answered with a shrug.

"I think it means something more than that. What this the only scroll written in that language?" Naruto nodded. Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I don't know, then. What does a poem have to do with saving the world? There's no prophecy or anything?"

"No," Naruto muttered. Kakashi sat down. He felt like they were at a loss. No one would properly say what they were up against, and even if they did, they had a week to figure out how to stop it. He looked at Naruto and a dark thought crossed his mind. Datenshi _needed_ Naruto. He had said it many times. Naruto being alive was paramount to this whole end of the world thing. Maybe if they…

Kakashi shook his head. They wouldn't stoop to that level. He stood. "Hinata, I want you to keep Naruto safe," he ordered. If Naruto wouldn't let him put a guard, then he was going to have to come up with a better way to do this.

"Kakashi," Naruto warned.

"That's Hokage to you, mister. I need Hinata to keep an eye on you."

Naruto eyed Kakashi for a moment. "I have an idea," he said.

"Oh?"

"Datenshi told me that I had to find the answers inside of myself. What if someone put me in a genjutsu or Ino got inside my head. Maybe there's something there that will trigger something."

Kakashi pondered the thought. It seemed like a sound idea, but putting Naruto in a genjutsu would be hard, and that didn't automatically give them access to his inner most thoughts. It was a long shot, but they had to try just about anything. "I'll call Ino."

* * *

Datenshi closed his eyes and bathed in the red sunlight. "I could not have asked for a more beautiful day," he whispered. Kiga and Haka were nowhere to be seen. "I have done everything in your name," he continued. "They can't stop it." He felt a presence beside him and he shivered. "They cannot!" he protested.

"Why?"

Datenshi turned to the small boy and frowned. "Why what, child?" he asked, annoyed.

"Why does it start now?"

"Because the Conqueror is here!"

"But he doesn't know who we are," the boy argued.

"He will," Datenshi growled. "He must."

"Shall I bring more, Master?" Haka asked quietly.

"Yes. We will need an army."

Haka nodded and started towards the end of the cliff that they were standing on. He raised his arms towards the sun and sighed before opening his eyes. They rolled back in his head and the boy screamed. The sound was chilling and shivers went up Datenshi's spine despite having heard the ghostly wail many times before.

After the pained howl ended, they waited in silence. The very earth then began to moan to response. Haka frowned. "Three more, Master," he said weakly. He collapsed and Datenshi grabbed the child before he tumbled to his death.

"That will do, Haka," he whispered. He wondered who had been brought back. They had no control over it. A manic smile spread across his lips. All was going according to plan.

* * *

Sasuke stopped to stare up at the blood red sky. It made no sense and he debated on heading back to Konoha, but he stopped himself. Whatever it was, it probably had nothing to do with them. Not only that, but he didn't want to start panic by showing up without reason.

He closed his eyes and started walking again, keeping his hand on his sword just in case.

The call of a hawk caught his attention and Sasuke turned. He raised his hand for the bird to land. It was a messenger hawk from the Leaf Village. "Maybe they need me to come back," he said with a shrug. He took the letter written by Kakashi and blinked. It was short.

 _Sasuke, something's happened at the village. Don't come back if you are more than 24 hours away. Get underground if you can. Naruto's been compromised._

Sasuke crumbled the piece of paper. Why would Kakashi be telling him to get underground? And who would compromise Naruto? Who _could_ compromise Naruto? "Little idiot," Sasuke growled and turned. He could make it back to the village by morning if he ran, and even quicker if he flew.

"Sasuke…?"

The young Uchiha froze and his heart suddenly stopped beating at the sound of that voice. It was one he hadn't heard in years. He shook his head, refusing to look behind him at the source of the voice. He was hearing things, or the red sun was really another form of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He wanted to vomit and weep at the same time.

"Mother…" Sasuke breathed, clenching his fists. He finally dared to look and his heart suddenly jumped back to life, beating twice as fast to make up for the missed beats. "It can't be…"

"…you…" the woman whispered. She stepped towards him and Sasuke grabbed his sword, pulling it out.

"Don't come near me!" he shouted shakily. How had he not noticed her chakra? How had she snuck up on him? _Genjutsu?_ He tried to dispel it, but his mother still remained. He activated both eyes and shook his head. She was there and she was alive. "How is this possible?"

The woman stared at her son and tears began spilling. Sasuke looked away. "You can't be Sasuke," she whispered. "My sweet young boy! What happened?"

"You're dead!" Sasuke snapped, stepping back more. The woman's eyes widened.

"N-no!" she shouted back.

Sasuke's shoulders dropped slightly. She was there and she was alive, and he was scaring her. "Mother… I… I'm sorry…"

Mikoto shook her head, bringing her hand to her chest. She walked towards Sasuke and this time he let her approach. She wrapped him in tight hug and for a moment, he let himself be embraced. He felt her heartbeat as he would anyone else and she was solid, not an illusion. _Naruto's been compromised…_ Kakashi had wrote. Sasuke nodded. Something was indeed going on here.

"Mom… What's the last thing you remember?" Sasuke asked finally.

"I was waiting for you to come home from school. You were so late…"

Sasuke felt a pain in his heart. She didn't remember the attack on the Uchiha Clan… Itachi's actions or even his father's death. He swallowed the lump in his throat and his weapon clashed to the ground. He didn't know what to do or what to say. All the training in the world couldn't prepare him for this.

"We should head back to Konoha," he said finally.

"Yes… I feel that is best," Mikoto answered with a nod. Sasuke clenched his fists and turned to summon a large hawk. He had wanted to use other methods to fly, but he didn't want to scare his mother any more than he already had. The large beast opened her wings. "You learned how to summon," Mikoto commented.

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered. He didn't know how to talk to her.

"I am proud of you."

Sasuke helped his mother onto the Hawk and followed her. "Have you seen father?" he asked, his mouth dry. She shook her head and Sasuke urged the beast into the air. He gripped the hawk's feathers and bit his lip.

 _Naruto's been compromised…_ Kakashi had wrote. Sasuke shook his head. _He's not the only one…_

* * *

"I need you to relax, Naruto," Ino snapped. Their attempts hadn't been going well. Despite Naruto's willingness to let the jutsu take effect, they had no success in entering his mind. There were blocks that Naruto himself couldn't get passed.

"I am relaxed," Naruto grumbled.

Ino turned to Kakashi. "It's not going to work," she muttered.

"It has to work!" Naruto protested.

"My jutsu has its limits, and yours are beyond mind."

"He's not trained to withstand your jutsu," Sakura chimed in from where she was sitting in the back of the room. "How can he be fighting it off when he's not even trying?"

Ino turned to Sakura and sighed. "I don't know, really. It's not him."

"Is it Kurama?" Naruto asked.

"No, I don't think so," Ino answered.

"He's subconsciously fighting it?" Hinata asked. Ino nodded. Naruto groaned and rested his head on the back of the chair. "So what do we do now?"

"If Ino's jutsu can't penetrate his guards, there's not much else we can do," Kakashi grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance. Naruto stared at the ceiling. If he couldn't return back to that house then he had no other ideas. All they had were two scattered dreams, an ancient poem and a red sun that was getting close to its midday summit.

"The Sharingan?" Sakura suggested.

"We don't know where Sasuke is," Kakashi answered.

"Besides, the amount of blocks on him are worse than anything I've ever encountered," Ino said. "I'm not saying that Sasuke couldn't crack it, but I would be afraid of what would happen to Naruto's mind if we forced ourselves in. We could end up doing more damage than good."

Naruto cursed under his breath.

"I have an idea," Sakura said. Naruto looked up at her and cocked his head. "Restrain him."

"We just said genjutsu won't work," Ino said.

"I'm not using genjutsu," Sakura said. She walked towards them as Ino restrained Naruto's arms. Hinata offered a small amount of protest, but she didn't call out. "Leave me alone with him."

"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked.

"As I've been researching for the children's therapy clinics, I had to do some research in psychology, and I've been working with a therapist and psychologist to bring the dream to light."

"That doesn't explain what you are doing."

"If we can't get past his blocks, maybe _he_ can." Kakashi sighed and motioned Ino and Hinata to follow him into the room with a two-way mirror. Sakura sat in front of Naruto and he looked at her.

"I don't get it," he muttered. He saw himself in the mirror and frowned. "Why am I restrained?"

"I don't know how you'll react." Sakura smiled and Naruto returned the grin. "Now, you need to relax," she whispered soothingly. Naruto's grin turned to a frown.

"Relax…? How can I re-?"

"Shh…" Sakura whispered. "Calm down." Naruto nodded, deciding that he should be more willing. "Good. Focus on your breathing." Naruto did. His breathing was, naturally, fast, as he was annoyed and otherwise worried about impending end of days.

"Focused," Naruto grumbled.

"Good, now slow your breathing." Naruto wasn't sure how this was supposed to help, but he followed her suggestions anyway. He was determined to find _something_ that would work. He began breathing on her commands; in and out as she spoke in the same breathy whisper. In the back of his mind, he was finding this all to be a waste of time, but he didn't say so out loud.

After a few minutes he found himself beginning to relax, as she had said. His clenched fists loosened and his shoulders dropped. A few minutes later and he hardly heard Sakura. He was staring at the mirror, seeing himself in a twilight state in the chair. He cocked his head, but since Sakura didn't react to the movement, he assumed that he wasn't really moving.

The reflection moved, but Naruto had not. His mirror image smirked and stood, walking to the front of the mirror. As it approached, the color faded from it, except for the eyes, which turned red. Naruto also stood from his chair. He looked back to see that his body had not moved. He shook his head and turned back to the mirror before approaching it.

" _What are you?"_ he asked his reflection.

" _We are one in the same."_

" _Impossible. I've already dealt with you."_

The reflection laughed softly. _"Do you really think someone as messed up as you only has one dark side? Our fate is set in stone. We shouldn't be fighting it."_

" _I'm not going to let this world end,"_ Naruto snapped to his grey-scale reflection.

" _You won't simply be letting the world end, you will be ending it."_

Naruto clenched his fist and went to punch the mirror, but his fist passed through it and it rippled like it was water. His reflection laughed, a sound that was distorted with the surface. Naruto stepped into the mirror and looked at the world he now found himself in. He was back on the ancient street. He turned, but his counterpart was gone.

"Naruto…?" He jumped and looked around. It was Sakura's voice. "What do you see…?"


	4. Prophet

_Chapter Four: Prophet_

 _Land of Fire: Prehistoric_

"Wait up, Sodi!"

"Well, if you'd hurry up, Haniel, I wouldn't have to wait!"

The first boy groaned and hurried along the path after his friend. They looked about the same age, though one had dirty blonde hair and the other had an almost ginger tint to his. Sodi, the blonde, hurried upward on the path while Haniel struggle behind. He was thinner and paler than his friend, who was muscular and his skin was kissed by the sun.

Sodi stopped atop the cliff and opened his arms wide, smiling widely. "I win again, Han!"

Haniel came to stand beside Sodi, pouting slightly. "You cheated," he grumbled, sitting down with his knees pulled to his chest.

"A head start isn't cheating, Han," Sodi chided. He stared out at the valley below and sighed. Soon it would be time to start the harvest festivals.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Haniel muttered. Sodi looked down at his friend and frowned.

"It is my trade," he said. "I will be back when the leaves return."

"That's six moons from now!" Haniel complained. "Why did you have to born to merchants?"

"For the same reason you have to be born into the chief's family. It's just how the gods intended." Sodi sat beside his friend and smiled softly. "You'll be so busy training to take your father's place that you won't even know I'm gone, Han."

"I don't care, So! It's dangerous!"

Sodi frowned and nodded. His uncle had been killed on his last route. He turned back to the rolling fields of crops. Hunters were returning with the meat that they would prepare that night, and the skins that the tanners would commission them to sell. "Nothing's going to happen to me, Haniel. I'll be back before you know it. I don't even leave for a few more days!"

Haniel nodded and stood, starting down the path. "The festival's tonight. We should get ready, right?"

"Yeah." Sodi followed the red-haired boy and smiled softly. They stayed silent while they walked through the gates of their village. Those who noticed them bowed to Haniel as they walked passed. Sodi kept his own head down as they walked together. It was bad enough that the son of the chief and the child of merchants hung out together, but to walk side-by-side as equals was unheard of. Sodi knew this, and he knew that when he returned from his first trade route, their friendship would never be the same.

They had grown up together and had bonded over the years. They were an unlikely pair, but Sodi's parents so it as useful and Haniel's parents saw it as harmless; but as they grew, things changed. Haniel's parents no longer saw it as harmless. Sodi clenched his fists. His friend was naive to the inner workings of their village, but he would learn, and with that knowledge, their time as friends would end. They were from different worlds; worlds that could never be merged. He shook his head.

 _It's not fair…_ he thought angrily. He didn't care that his parents were poor and Haniel wasn't. He didn't care that some people were born more fortunate than others. He only cared that society told them they couldn't be friends based solely on their parents. He shook his head.

"What's wrong, So?"

"Nothing…"

* * *

 _Present_

 _Day Two: Hour 13_

"Naruto?"

"I'm in a village," Naruto answered. He looked around as the people walked around him in slow motion, leaving ghosts behind them. He started forward. "It's ancient. The buildings are old."

If Sakura answered him, he didn't hear it as he headed towards the house he had met the brunette last time. He wasn't sure what to expect this time and he didn't know what he'd ask, but he wasn't going to leave the house until he got some answers.

The man was waiting for him. "You have returned," he whispered.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked. He didn't have much time for pleasantries.

The man walked again to the window. "It is too early," he said quietly. "Datenshi has found you, I assume."

"Yes he has! Tell me what's going on!"

"That is not my place."

"Who are you?!" Naruto shouted, annoyed. Why would no one answer his questions?

The brunette turned to Naruto and smiled softly. "You are frustrated."

"Of course I am!"

He sighed and moved to a jug on a crudely made table. He poured Naruto a glass of water and offered it to him. Naruto declined. None of this was real anyway. "Your eagerness will get you nowhere, child," he grumbled. "I wish I could help, but the gods control your fate."

"I can't accept that!" Naruto snapped.

"I am sorry."

"No you aren't!"

"Datenshi is a misguided prophet," the brunette muttered, sipping the water from the cup. "I need not explain this to you."

"What does the poem mean?" Naruto asked, deciding he might get a better answer if he asked a better question.

"We are born what we are," the brunette answered, shaking his head. He held out his hands. "Hyuuga, Uchiha, Uzumaki… We cannot deny our lineage, just as we cannot deny our fate." He poured the water onto the sandy ground. As it hit, the water turned to blood. "Blood is thicker than water, child. We must make sacrifices in order to maintain order."

"So that's it? We're meant to roll over and die because some deity told us to?" Naruto asked, staring at the blood in the dirt. "What's the point of living if our lives are not our own?"

"You have already fulfilled one prophecy."

"I was meant to save the world, not destroy it!"

"Why? Because a man told you so?" The brunette closed his eyes and shook his head. "We are nothing more than fate's playthings." He stood. "That is all."

Naruto clenched his fists. "How is the world going to end?!"

"You can't stop it."

"I don't care! Tell me!"

"I doesn't matter. Datenshi has already started the process." He walked to Naruto and sighed sadly. "I wish I could help you… I truly do."

"Then help me!" Naruto begged. "Tell me how to stop him!"

"The only way to stop it is to kill him."

Naruto swallowed. "How do we kill a man who can't be killed by weapons?"

"He is immortal. Strike him down and he will continue to rise." Naruto shook his head. "The answers you seek are not here, child. They are elsewhere… The scrolls you need are hidden away; buried beneath centuries of earth."

"Where are these scrolls?"

The brunette pointed to the floor of the home. "Here."

Naruto gasped and opened his eyes. He was back in the interrogation room with Sakura staring worriedly at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Naruto muttered. "Get me out of these restraints. We have to move."

"What did you learn?"

"There are scrolls detailing this or something and we have to find them."

Sakura moved to remove the restraints as Kakashi, Ino and Hinata came into the room. "I'll go with you," Sakura said.

Kakashi shook his head. "No. We have to start a full scale evacuation of the village. I need all medical ninja on hand." He turned to Hinata. "You, go with Naruto. I'll set up a small team. We can't afford a full scale search on a vision."

"M-me?" Hinata whispered.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, you. Your tracking abilities will be helpful. Meet me in my office in an hour you two and then we will begin."

Naruto nodded. It made sense, but he'd rather go now instead of wasting time gathering a team. "Yessir," he muttered.

Kakashi turned to Sakura. "I need you to set up teams of medical ninja and prepare all patients for transport. I want everyone moving underground within the next six hours. Understood?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei!" She then took off and Kakashi left with Ino, leaving Naruto and Hinata together in the interrogation room.

"I guess we should get going," Naruto said. Hinata nodded slowly. "But I don't even know where to look." He sat down in the chair and buried his face in his hands. Fighting Obito was easy. Heck, fighting Kaguya was easy compared to this. When he was fighting them, he knew who the enemy was. He could see what he was punching and what he was facing. Now he didn't see anything. It didn't even seem like Datenshi was an enemy; he was merely misguided.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked. Naruto laughed softly. She knew very well what was wrong. The world was ending! But instead of lashing out, he smiled.

"I thought the Infinite Tsukuyomi was the biggest threat I would face," he said quietly. "But this… This doesn't make any sense. Two days ago we were at peace, and now we have less than six days before heaven knows what happens to the world and I'm apparently part of this. I don't understand what I'm supposed to do. All we have are vague visions and a scroll."

Hinata pulled up a chair and sat opposite of Naruto. He could tell she was slightly nervous. Despite their interaction during the war, she was still shy around him. Her face was blushed slightly and he resisted the urge to smile. It was cute. "That's not all we have. We have hope, Naruto. We have the peace of mind that we've come out the other side of tunnels like this. We have _you,_ Naruto." Naruto smiled. That didn't make him feel much better, but he didn't want to tell her that. Hinata stood. "The Hyuuga are the oldest Clan in the village. We have archives detailing the history of the Clan lineage, since the time before chakra. We should start there. There's no point in wasting time while Lord Hokage gets our team ready."

Naruto stood and followed Hinata out of the room. He tried to ignore the widespread panic as they walked through the streets. People called out to Naruto, but he tried to ignore them. Hinata ushered him through the blood red streets and into the compound. Naruto hadn't been to the Hyuuga's new compound since they returned from the war. Any time he wanted to see Hinata, he would meet her out in town.

"Sister!" Naruto turned to see Hanabi running towards them. She looked worried, as she should. She stopped in front of them. "And Naruto." She bowed.

"Good afternoon, Hanabi," Hinata said. "Where is father?"

"In the main hall," Hanabi answered. "What's happening, Hinata?"

Hinata smiled. "Nothing you have to worry about," she said, patting her sister on the head.

Hanabi looked at Naruto. "Are you two on a mission?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, and everything will be fine, Hanabi, but you need to make sure you help with the evacuations, okay?"

The young girl nodded and started down the hall. Naruto followed Hinata into a large room with a single table in the center. An elderly Hiashi was kneeling before the table, eating slowly. Hinata stopped before crossing onto the straw tatami mats. "Good afternoon, father."

The Hyuuga looked up and offered his daughter a weary smile. "Good afternoon, Hinata," he said. "What brings you two here? I would imagine Naruto would be trying to stop this mess."

"I am."

"But we may need something here," Hinata interjected. "We need to see the archives."

Hiashi stood and nodded. He didn't ask questions. Instead he led them through the halls into a room that he unlocked. "Not much was salvaged after Pain's attack," he explained, pointing at the walls. "But the scribes have been able to document what was left. There aren't many original scrolls here."

Naruto looked at the books and scrolls. Hardly any of them seemed old enough to be what they wanted. "I need the location of a town," he said. "An ancient village somewhere in the Land of Fire." He tried to remember details from the visions, but he only really remembered that one street.

Hiashi sighed and moved down the line of books and scrolls. "Do you know the name?" Naruto shook his head. "There are a couple documented villages from the Pre-Sage of Six Paths Era, but not many." He stopped and rested his hand on a book. "There was a village, long ago. There wasn't much special about it, but it used to stand not far from here. We haven't had too many digs there, so we don't know a lot about it, but from what I gather, it was situated about six kilometers south of Konoha."

He picked up a book and handed it to Naruto, opening it to a single page. Naruto looked down at it and was dismayed to see only a map pinpointing the location of the ancient civilization and a single paragraphs saying that the village was a trader's outpost. "That's all?"

"We don't deal much with archeology here," Hiashi said. "However, we have reason to believe that part of the Hyuuga lineage may have come from that village, so we have information on it."

"Well, that's helpful enough," Naruto said. "Thank you, Lord Hiashi." He bowed and returned the book.

"Keep it." Naruto nodded and they turned to leave. "Naruto!" The boy stopped and turned. "Good luck you two." He turned his gaze to his daughter. She nodded and the two left the room.

An hour later Naruto was standing in Kakashi's office with Sai, Tenten and Hinata. "You four are in charge of finding out what you can from Naruto's vision. They have been briefed on the situation." Kakashi addressed the three in the room whose names did no start with _N._ "Do not let Naruto out of your sight. If Datenshi or the children come to him, do not engage. Naruto, that means you. The less we interact with them, the better, I'm guessing."

"That's a pretty heavy gamble," Naruto grumbled. "What's it based on?'

"A hunch," Kakashi admitted. He looked up as the door opened and Minato stepped inside. "Good afternoon, sensei. Can I help you?"

Minato looked at the man, then to his son. "I'd like permission to go with my son."

Naruto and Kakashi exchanged a look, and Naruto nodded, against his better judgement. "Very well."

* * *

Kakashi sank into his chair once his office had been cleared of the ANBU and various other parties. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and turned to a wall of monitors, turning them all on. It took about twenty minutes for the other to sign in to the call.

"Good afternoon," Kakashi greeted the Kage.

"Is it Sasuke?" The Raikage demanded without a formal greeting. Kakashi sighed, though he had expected as much.

"I can safely say it is not Sasuke," he answered evenly.

"But you do know what it is, right?" the Mizukage asked.

"It is a plague. Surely you have all received my messages."

"We have," the Tsuchikage said, "but it doesn't make sense. How can one man destroy the world in seven days?"

"We're not sure," Kakashi answered truthfully. "They came here looking for Naruto, that's all we know right now."

"Is there really a deadline?"

"Is the sun red?" Kakashi retorted. "We've begun a wide scale evacuation and I suggest you do the same."

"What did they want with Naruto?" Gaara asked.

Kakashi frowned. He knew they had every right to know what was happening, but telling them about Naruto's seeming involvement would only end is disaster. "There are three of them," Kakashi explained carefully. "They keep referring to Naruto as the Fourth; the one they've been waiting for. Apparently they need Naruto for one reason or another."

"Have you tried locking him up?" Onoki asked.

"Naruto is, as of now, looking for a solution," Kakashi retorted.

"If the boy is a part of this-"

"He is not!" Kakashi cut off the Mizukage angrily. "Naruto has nothing to do with this."

"It sounds like he has everything to do with this," A retorted. "Do you know the extent of his involvement?"

"It's not willing, if that's what you're asking," Kakashi growled dangerously.

"That's not what he's implying, Kakashi," Mei said, trying to calm him. "He wants to know how important Naruto is to the overall scheme of this."

Kakashi bit his lip and was thankful for the mask that was hiding his frown. "Datenshi, the ring leader of this madness, said that Naruto was pivotal." He took a long pause, knowing what his next words would do to this meeting. "His apocalypse cannot happen without Naruto."

The four Kage remained silent for a time. Kakashi watched their faces. Mei and Onoki were seemingly pondering the next words to come out of their mouths and Gaara looked instantly troubled; for good reason. Only A seemed set in his answer. "Then there is only one solution," he said.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "That's not a solution," he snapped.

"It is and you know it," A snapped.

Kakashi clenched his fists, but it was Gaara who answered. "That seems like a last resort," he said calmly to the Raikage. "Surely we of the alliance can come up with a better solution that doesn't involve crucifixion, yes?"

"You are bleeding hearts! What's one life compared to the millions that could be saved?" A snapped back.

"That is a bit cruel," Mei grumbled. Onoki shrugged and leaned back into his chair in thought.

"Ask the boy!" A continued. "You know he would do it in a heartbeat, Kakashi!"

Kakashi nodded. He would. Naruto would do anything to save the world; which was why he wasn't even going to bring it up to Naruto.

"We're not killing Naruto."

Kakashi turned to the door to see who had chimed in. "Sasuke?" he breathed. "I told you not to come."

"It's a good thing I did," Sasuke snapped.

"There's the Uchiha. Are we certain it's not he who is causing this mess?" A asked.

"I already told you it wasn't," Kakashi groaned. "Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Sasuke opened the door wider, revealing his mother. "I see."

"What is the meaning of this?" Sasuke snapped.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Kakashi answered calmly. He turned back to address the Kage. "My advice is sound. Evacuate your cities, get everyone underground and let us handle our own shinobi!"

Three of the Kage nodded and signed off the call, leaving just Kakashi and the Raikage. "You know I will do anything to ensure my village's survival," A said.

"I am aware."

"If Naruto is truly as important as you say, then you know what much be done, Kakashi."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "We're not killing Naruto," he said. "There must be other ways to end this. I will lock him in chains if I have to, but I won't stoop to murdering him."

A narrowed his eyes. "Very well, Kakashi. I do hope you know what you're doing…" He signed off, leaving Kakashi alone with Sasuke and Mikoto.

He turned to his Uchiha guests and smiled warily. "I hope so too."

 _Author's note: And there you go! All the destruction will come shortly!_


	5. War and Conquest

Chapter Five: Conquest and War

"So, that's it, then?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi nodded. He had just finished explaining the situation to the Uchiha. "And Naruto's part of this whole thing?"

"We're pretty sure Datenshi wasn't lying about that," Kakashi grumbled. He sat down in his chair and spun it slowly while he considered what to do. "Naruto's away from the village right now on a wild goose chase while we evacuate. There's not much we can do right except wait it out."

"How is he going to do it?" Mikoto asked quietly.

Kakashi shrugged. "We don't know. Naruto hasn't been able to get him to spill that."

"Are you sure I'm not part of this as well?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi spun his chair to face the Uchiha. He lifted an eyebrow. "I mean, Naruto and I seem to be a pair for things like this."

"There's only four," Kakashi said. "You aren't one of them."

Sasuke sighed and leaned against the wall. "So that's the plan? Just wait it out?"

"Right now, yes. We can't capture Datenshi or the children."

Sasuke gripped the hilt of his sword. "I'll take care of that," he said. "One look at my Sharingan and that man will be singing his plans for us."

"I don't think it will be that simple," Kakashi said, but he didn't stop Sasuke as he started for the door. "You should stay here, Mikoto," the Hokage said. "There's a lot that we have to talk about, and I'd rather you evacuate with us."

"Is that safe?" Sasuke asked from the doorway. "Should we be treating the dead like the living?"

Kakashi clenched his fists. Sasuke had a good point, but he didn't admit that. "We'll figure it out," he said quietly. "But, Sasuke… If push comes to shove…"

"Then I'll kill him myself," Sasuke growled before slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Naruto stared at the expanse of woods and frowned. How were they supposed to find an ancient scroll here without even knowing where to look? He hated that he was doubting everything, but there was hardly anything to go on. They literally had nothing. "Hey, kid, keep up!" Tenten called. Naruto frowned and stood on the branch he was crouching on. The brunette landed next to him and smiled. "You're uncharacteristically down today."

"That comes with finding out that you apparently are to end the world with three strangers."

Tenten smiled softly. "You know, you sound an awful lot like Neji way back when."

Naruto frowned. "Neji was right," he said. "All we do is our destiny. How can I disagree with him when I myself have fulfilled a prophecy?"

"Is that what you believe?" Tenten asked.

"What else am I supposed to believe?" Naruto snapped.

"You're supposed to believe that it's only your destiny if you want it to be," Tenten retorted. "You wanted to save the world, so you did. Who cares about some prophecy? You made that choice, Naruto!"

Naruto looked down at his hands. What could he say to make this better; to make this work? "Did I?"

"Did you?" she returned. Naruto didn't answer. He hadn't wanted the world to end in that false peace, so he fought against it, prophecy be darned.

 _But was it?_ He asked himself. _Was I really in control of my thoughts, or did some predetermined force tell me that I didn't want the world to end, so I didn't? And if that's true, what will happen this time? Will my mind be swayed? Will I start to see it his way? Does the world really deserve to keep on living?_ Naruto shook his head and shuddered. Even if Datenshi wasn't there, he felt the man's presence and influence in his head. "I don't know, Tenten."

"Well, until you do know, help us defy your fate," she said and then she jumped to another branch to catch up to the others. Naruto followed. He stayed silent until they found themselves in a clearing.

"Stop!" he called to his group. He felt something. "It's here! The town is here!"

Hinata and the others landed in front of him. No one questioned how Naruto knew that. "So, we start digging?" Minato asked.

"Looks like it."

Naruto nodded and created multiple Shadow Clones and Sai painted several creatures with shovels. Minato frowned. "We don't want to destroy anything. I know we're in a hurry, but we should respect this place. Naruto, I want you to dig in the center, Hinata to the North, Sai to the South and Tenten and I will dig East and West. Dig slowly. We don't want to miss anything."

Naruto frowned. He didn't like his father taking over, but he also didn't argue. There was no point. He stood in the center with his clones and took a deep breath, trying to find what he was looking for, but there was nothing. He shrugged and started digging with the help of his clones.

They dug until the sky started turning dark crimson as the blood sun finished its daily arch, but they still had found nothing except for a few pots, but nothing to indicate a city had once been there. "I thought for sure it was here," Naruto whispered. They had all but destroyed the clearing, but to no avail. They had nothing for their efforts.

"Is this how you choose to spend your last days on earth? Playing in the dirt?"

Naruto gasped and spun. Datenshi was there with the two children. Everyone in the clearing stopped and grabbed their weapons. "What do you want?"

"To check the progress of your attempts to stop my apocalypse. So far, it seems I have nothing to worry about."

"Have you come to gloat?" Naruto asked.

"Why would I want to gloat?" Datenshi asked. "Victory is nothing. This isn't a fight, Naruto, it's a struggle you all face, but will eventually lose, like a child drowning in the middle of a great ocean. He may be a strong swimmer, and he may put up a good effort, but it is no fight. His end is inevitable and his fate has been sealed. He will tire, he will grow weak, he will grow disheartened and eventually he'll stop struggling and he will let the water rush into his lungs and he will die. That is what awaits you all here."

Naruto clenched his fists, but it was Hinata who stepped forward. "Who are you to tell us what we can and cannot do?" she snapped. "You don't decide when we die!"

"On the contrary, little Hyuuga, that is the one thing you have very little control over. Very few actually decide the moment of their death." Kiga spun suddenly and Datenshi smirked as a sword impaled his throat. Naruto frowned.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke?"

"Taking care of your problem," Sasuke snapped. He yanked the weapon from Datenshi's neck. "Though I have a feeling that if I could do that so easily, then it was worthless." He stared down at the body, studying it. The two children backed away from Datenshi and Sasuke.

"Yeah," Naruto grumbled. Sure enough Datenshi stood after the moment and smiled.

"When will you ninja realize that killing me won't work?"

"It was worth a shot," Sasuke growled as he backed away to stand with the group. Naruto glared at him. He didn't want anyone else involved in this. "So, little idiot, you're going to end the world?"

"I'd rather not," Naruto said.

Datenshi sighed with impatience. "I don't have time for this! Seifuku, please stop fighting me!"

"My name is not Seifuku!" Naruto shouted.

Datenshi waved his hand. "Why? Because they all call you Naruto? Because that _man_ -" he pointed forcefully at Minato "-named you Naruto? If that's all the name is to you, then I will annihilate anyone who upholds the belief that you are Naruto! You are Seifuku, child, and you cannot deny your fate any longer!" He lifted his hand and smiled. "I am War," he hissed dangerously. "I am here to take peace from the earth!" He clenched his fist. "Men will slaughter men! Brother will turn against brother!" He screamed. Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to his group. They all had their weapons but they were no longer glaring at Datenshi. They were facing each other. "Now, wage your war!"

Naruto gasped and jumped out of the way as they turned on each other. He began shaking as they attacked, lunging at each other with murderous intent. Naruto was frozen for just a moment, his eyes wide. What had happened? What had changed? He clenched his fists. "Stop!" he shouted, but they didn't listen. Naruto spun to Datenshi. "What did you do?" he growled.

"I am War," Datenshi answered evenly. "I create conflict in others."

Naruto cursed and lunged into the fray. He grabbed Sasuke's arm to prevent him from striking Hinata. "Enough!" he snapped. Sasuke turned on him and Naruto gasped. He had fought Sasuke many times, and had even faced death at the Uchiha's hands, but he had never seen such lifelessness in Sasuke's eyes. There was an animalistic rage in them that not even his own beast forms had. It was the basic of instincts; kill or be killed.

Naruto jumped back away from Sasuke to avoid a deadly blow. _This_ was Datenshi's power? Naruto's body began to tremble and he dropped to his knees. This wasn't a thing he could combat! This wasn't genjutsu, this was madness. "Stop…" he whimpered. The earth beneath him began to tremble slightly. "Stop…!" he said even louder. The earth shook. "STOP!"

Suddenly the earth cracked and everyone in the clearing stopped in mid-swing as dirt and rock shot forward, grabbing their wrists and encasing their feet. Time itself seemed to slow at his command for everything to stop. He gasped for air, panting. Power flowed through his body and into the earth. He hadn't felt power like this before; not even the fox, or the Sage power had engulfed him in such ecstasy. He thought he might should fear it, but it filled him with such a sense of peace, like he could control everything and, in that, everything would be alright.

He shut his eyes and visions flashed through his mind. A white horse, the earth shattering beneath the hooves the powerful beast. Naruto gripped the ground beneath his hands. The dirt buckled. The horse was now in front of him, its red eyes staring down at his kneeling form. _What's happening?_ He begged the animal, reaching towards the white snout. The animal moved forward to meet his hand.

Naruto opened his eyes with a gasp. Instead of the horse, Datenshi was standing in front of him, holding his outstretched hand. Kiga and Haka also stood beside the man. Naruto stood slowly to face the three as his body shivered with power. He felt an odd sense of purpose and peace as he stood with them; as if this was what he was meant to do and this was where he was meant to be. He felt a sense of belonging that he had never felt. His shoulders relaxed and for a moment, he forgot what was happening. He sighed and his eyes rolled back as his eye lids slid closed again.

He breathed in. He could feel the earth around him. He could hear it and it was his to command. He could feel the minds of those around him, but he ignored them. _This is what it means to conquer,_ he thought absently.

" _I am Death_ ," the male child whispered in the dead language that Datenshi had used upon their first meeting.

Naruto nodded slowly.

" _I am Famine,"_ the girl echoed in the same language.

" _I am War."_

Naruto opened his eyes and his pupils dilated as his eyes glazed over. A small part of him fought against the power that flowed in his veins, but it was quickly being overpowered. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the earth and all he felt. A soft smile spread across his lips.

" _I am Conquest…"_

* * *

 _Land of Fire: Prehistoric_

The Harvest Festival was well underway while Sodi sat in a tree with a bird mask over his dark green eyes. Tomorrow he would head out with his father for moons at a time, learning the trade of being a merchant. It was an odd job. He had always doubted it. The whole purpose was to buy something for a little bit of money and then sell it for more. Sometimes they worked for commission, but he never understood the point of money. Did it matter who died with the most money? Weren't you dead in the end?

He had asked his father this once, but his father had dodged the question, saying that money may not sustain life, but it sure made life easier. Sodi loved his friend, Haniel, but deep down, he hated him as well. Haniel would live a life that wasn't constantly threatened by death. He would never have to fight for money or status. He was born into it while people like Sodi and his father had to work so their families didn't starve to death. Life wasn't fair.

"Why are you up there by yourself?" Haniel called from the ground. He was never good at climbing trees. Haniel was never particularly good at anything. He wasn't a natural speaker like a leader should be, but he wasn't a fighter, so he could never be a warrior. He wasn't good at cooking, and being a blacksmith would require too much effort. He had no talent for the arts, and was not smart enough for the sciences, practical or of the mind. He was a very average human being.

Sodi smiled and jumped from the tree to save his friend the trouble of trying to climb it and ending up hurting himself. "Did you see that deer they brought in?" Sodi asked.

"I did! It was massive! How much do you think the skin is worth?"

Sodi smiled. His trade required him to appraise an item at a glance. "It will be worth a lot. Father and I will get a hefty commission for it, for sure!"

"That's great!" He smiled and stared up at the night sky with the dark orange moon. "You know, I don't want you to go, but I'm jealous of you."

Sodi blinked and looked at Haniel through his bird mask. "Jealous? But why?"

"You get to see the world," Haniel admitted softly. "I'll never really see what's outside this village, but you'll get to travel all over and meet all sorts of people. That's exciting."

"Leading a village is also exciting," Sodi grumbled. Truthfully, he'd rather have the security of knowing his family would survive the winter than the joys of traveling the world.

"Yeah, but it's not a trade," Haniel said. "It's something that was handed to me! I didn't have to work for it, and even if I'm no good at it, it won't matter! I want what I do to mean something."

Sodi frowned. "You think being a merchant will mean anything a hundred years from now, Han?" he asked. "Because I don't think it will."

"Yeah, but at least you'll live a life," Haniel argued.

"I didn't ask to be born into a merchant's family."

"And I didn't ask to be born into royalty."

Sodi cocked his head in thought. He had always been too busy trying to figure out the benefits of being the leader of the village that he had never considered that Haniel was trapped in his own destiny as well.

"It's stupid to be jealous of my situation," Sodi grumbled finally. "We're from two separate worlds, Han, and that will never change."

Haniel clenched his fists. "I know it won't change, but why shouldn't it?! Why should we accept that?"

"Because that's who we are," Sodi growled. He didn't understand why his friend was still talking about this. They knew that this day had to come. They were from two different walks of life and eventually their paths had to diverge. It was that simple! Why couldn't they all just accept their fate?!

"Well, what if I don't want to be what the world tells me I should?" Haniel snapped angrily. "It's not fair, Sodi!"

Sodi clenched his fists. "You are so petty!" he snapped. "You have a charmed life! You will never have to worry about food shortages, or being killed on a trail at night for the wagon of goods you are carrying! You get to stay here and be safe while people like my uncle go out there and give their lives, but for what?! A measly few coins to line his purse for a few days?" Sodi yanked out three copper coins. It was all he had to his name. He had sold a squirrel pelt to a young girl so she could make her sick mother a doll. He wanted to throw them to the ground; to stomp on them and prove his point, but he simply couldn't. "Consider yourself lucky," he said angrily.

Haniel let out a soft whimper and Sodi cursed himself. He hadn't meant to be so angry at his friend. "I didn't mean anything by it," Haniel muttered.

"I know…" but the damage had already been done. Sodi pocketed his coins and started walking away from his friend.

"Hey, So…" Haniel called. Sodi stopped without looking back. He was glad that his mask was covering the tears falling down his face. "Come back, okay? Please."

Sodi didn't know what to say. Haniel _did_ have a skill. He was hopelessly optimistic. Sodi smiled slightly. He couldn't deny that his friend was entertaining at least. It was hard to break that kid's spirit. "Y-yeah. I'll come home, Han… I promise."

* * *

 _Present_

 _Day Two: Hour 19_

 _What's going on?_

 _What's happening?_

 _Naruto opened his eyes, but he was in darkness. A forest surrounded him, engulfing him. His senses were muted. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think._

 _Who am I?_

 _He shook his head and stumbled forward in the dark forest, his bare feet leaving bloodied foot prints in the snow. He could hear screaming in the distance; the call of a horse, the desperate pleas of a man. Naruto hugged his body as he pushed forward, shivering though his body was numb. He didn't even notice the wounds on his body and the bloody trail he was leaving. He was bleeding too fast. He'd never make it to those calls._

 _Where am I?_

 _He fell to his knees, too weak to continue. He crashed in the snow and stared forward, his blue eyes blank and expressionless. He reach forward towards the screams of the man and horse. He shook his head. It didn't make sense. He had to get to them. He had to bring them home. He had to live. "I… promised," he whispered weakly._

 _Who am I?_

"Naruto!"

Naruto gasped and his snapped opened. He looked around, confused for a moment. He wasn't sure who had called that name. _Is that my name?_ he thought, but he shook his head. They were still in the clearing. Hardly any time had passed at all. The sun had set, though, leaving the night sky covered in red dots. He looked at the three ninja in front of him. They were blocking his line of sight. They were not the ones that had called that name.

He felt the power leave him. The earth that was holding the rest of group crumbled, setting them free. Naruto stumbled back weakly as the three ninja were attacked by the others. He stood, dumbfounded as the fight broke out. He shook his head and didn't fight as a girl grabbed his shoulders tightly. "Naruto?"

He studied her for a moment. She was beautiful, but there was no recognition in his eyes for her, but she seemed to care for him. Her violet eyes were laced with worry and fear; fear for him. He reached forward to stroke her cheek. Was she crying? _"What's going on?"_ he asked in the dead language. She shook her head, not understanding his words.

"Naruto, do you know who I am?"

" _No."_ he answered, but she couldn't understand him. He shook his head slowly. He felt possessed, but was this his body, or was he the one possessing it?

He was suddenly pulled into a tight hug. The others were fighting, but none of that mattered. "Come back," the girl whispered shakily. He felt the heat of her face on his neck and he blinked. She was blushing. Odd.

Suddenly his vision went white and he went limp in her arms. The power left his body as quickly as it had come, leaving him weak. When he could see again, he was still being held by the girl. "Hinata…?" he whispered weakly. She gasped and pulled away from him. "What happened…?"

"I don't know," Hinata confessed. "You were talking in some weird language and you just seemed… dazed."

He felt dazed.

"No!" Datenshi shouted, throwing Sai away from him. He ran at Naruto and Hinata. Naruto moved quickly to step between the man and Hinata. "You had come back!" the man screamed angrily. "Where did you go?! You were here!" Naruto blinked, confused. "You were here, Seifuku! Why are you fighting?! _This_ is fate! _This_ is what you were born to do, child! Stop fighting! Didn't you feel the power of the earth?!"

Naruto nodded slowly. He had no fight left in him. "What was that?"

"You are the Conqueror, so you must conquer! That is you destiny, you little brat!" He grabbed Naruto's shirt and lifted him up. "Your powers are awakening, child! You can't deny it anymore. This is the destiny that has been thrust upon you. Stop fighting it. We only do what we were born to do! Together we will end this pathetic world!" He threw Naruto to the ground and addressed the rest of the group. "Struggle all you want, mortals, but don't deny him his fate!" And with that, they were gone.

Naruto fell back onto the dirt and stared at the sky. He had felt it. _He's right… I am Seifuku,_ Naruto thought. _But that doesn't mean I will end this world._ He closed his eyes and slipped into darkness as he was lifted from the dirt.

 _Author's note: Well, that was fun!_


	6. Control

Chapter 6: Control

" _You're ruining everything."_

" _Sorry," Naruto grumbled. He was getting sick of this. He was back in the house with the brunette. This time he had settled in, as he had already been there for several hours. The other had just come._

" _No you aren't."_

" _No I'm not," Naruto admitted as he sipped the water. "Now, can I get some answers?"_

 _The brunet sighed deeply and shook his head. "It's not that easy," he grumbled. "I really do wish I could help you, but Datenshi is calling everything."_

 _Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I thought it had to do with some god or something," he said._

" _Yes and no," the other said with a shrug._

" _Well what the heck does that mean?"_

 _The brunet closed his dull eyes. "It means that there are factors at play that are out of your control, and my control, and even his control. God or not, this is going to happen. I personally believe that the gods have stopped caring about this apocalypse."_

" _So, there_ are _gods? Like Jashin?" Naruto asked, shuttering at the idea of more people like Hidan wandering around the world._

" _Jashin is his own entity. Most of the gods don't care to mingle and deal with humanity. They'd rather let us to our own devices without caring how or when we destroy the world." The man shrugged._

" _I don't get it…"_

" _It's complicated," he admitted. "I come from a time when gods were worshipped. We prayed for the harvest and the hunt. We prayed for the life of our men in battle, and our children sick in bed and for blessings on our houses. Those traditions died out, especially when chakra was introduced to the world."_

" _You have no chakra?" Naruto asked his eyes wide._

" _I come from the time before Kaguya… When battles were fought hand to hand. Killing back then was far more personal, as there were no jutsu to assist in murder and assassination. Of course, we also only fought for land and crops, mostly. A few times we would go to war for simpler reasons, but in my time, there was no threat of a powerful Shinobi destroying the world in one fell swoop."_

" _So it was peaceful?" Naruto asked as he stared down at his hands. The cup was gone, though he didn't remember setting down._

" _Other humans were not our biggest enemy, but what we were born as was. A farmer was born a farmer, lived as a farmer and died as a farmer. We accepted our fates, and farmers often died in the winter. Their children were expected to take up the farm right where the father left off. Unlike you, who choose to be a ninja, we were born into what we were to die as. We didn't have time to worry too much about what neighboring villages were doing. We were too busy with the elements."_

 _Naruto closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn't sure what was worse. His world or theirs. "So, what does all this have to do with this impending end of days?" he asked. "Why is Datenshi so hell bent on destroying the world?"_

 _The brunet shook his head. "I don't even think Datenshi knows that anymore," he admitted. "It has been so long and there have been so many generations. It just seems that he wants this all to end… I've never seen him so detached before."_

 _Naruto cracked one eye open. "What do you mean? How many reincarnations of War has there been? And of the others?"_

 _The brunet laughed softly. "There have been countless incarnations of Death and Famine, but only one War."_

 _Naruto's eyes snapped opened. "What?"_

" _Datenshi is the original War. I would watch him every generation. Again and again, he would find the ones called Death and Famine. He would take them and raise them as his own, training them for their duties, waiting for the day Conquest would join their ranks… but conquest never came. For countless generations, he has gone through the same cycle. He used to open his heart to them and treat them as his own… but as time went on, he couldn't let anyone else in. There were times when he wanted to skip a generation just to save himself the heartache, but there was always that thought that the one time he didn't come for the others would be the time Conquest came for him."_

 _Naruto looked at the brunet. All that would explain why the man was so desperate. "But I don't understand… Why is he continuing this, if even he doesn't seem to care anymore? What does he want?"_

 _The man looked at the window and the passing feet. "What does he want?" he repeated softly. He chuckled. "He wants to die…"_

* * *

Day 4 Hour 7

Kakashi was pacing in the room that had been deemed the Hokage's office in the labyrinth of tunnels where they had brought the people of Konoha and the Land of Fire. He had monitors in the room, but it was unlikely that they would work much longer. Naruto was showing no signs of waking and their time was running out. "Kakashi!"

The man turned to the open doorway. "How is he, Sakura?" he gasped, praying for good news.

"His fever's not going down," the girl said. Kakashi clenched his fists. He wasn't afraid that Naruto would die. Surely the powers that be wouldn't let him die. He was, instead, afraid that Naruto wouldn't wake up in time to stop this.

"Okay. Stay with him and let me know if anything has changed. I will keep medics throughout. Naruto is your top priority. We need him to wake up!" Sakura nodded and disappeared into the tunnels. Kakashi turned to the monitors and braced himself for the onslaught. They sprang to life, revealing the worried faces of the other Kage.

"Time's up, Kakashi," the Raikage snapped. Kakashi cursed. "You said we had a week, and it's been four days. We're out of options. We can't even go outside! There's nothing left, Kakashi! It's time to admit that Naruto's death is the only way!"

Kakashi turned to A and narrowed his eyes. "There's still time!" he snapped. "Just give him a couple more days!"

"We don't have any more days, Kakashi!" A shouted. "What will you have us do, Kakashi?"

Kakashi bowed his head as thunder shook the ground. That was the plague. Just as Naruto had said, the sun's light had burned their flesh. Today, despite the sun was still shining, there was a torrential downpour complete with lightning and thunder that shook the earth. "Give me more time," Kakashi begged.

"We're out of time. The death count is high enough, Kakashi! Don't let the rest of the world suffer because you want to save one ninja! It's time to end this!" A shouted. Kakashi clenched his fists.

He turned to the other Kage, but they remained silent. Even Gaara, despite his worried expression, was electing to remain silent. "Gaara?" Kakashi asked, hoping to find someone to agree with him in the young Kazekage.

Gaara sighed and bowed his head in defeat. "It is a difficult thing, Kakashi… I wish there was a better answer."

"This isn't an answer!" Kakashi shouted.

"Ask him," Gaara whispered calmly.

"What?"

"Ask Naruto… You know he'd do it to himself if he thought it would save everyone."

"This is madness! I'm not going to kill him in his sleep!" Kakashi snapped.

"So the boy sleeps?" A snapped.

"He's been unconscious," Kakashi admitted.

"So he's no closer to finding the answer because he's resting?" Kakashi nodded. "It is time, Lord Hokage. There's nothing else to be done."

Kakashi clenched his fists, but he knew they were right. Naruto hadn't found the scroll and now they had no idea how to stop this in time. The deaths would continue until they finally got smart. "Very well," he whispered shakily. He turned to Gaara's screen and tried to offer his a reassuring smile. "He won't feel a thing," he promised. His stomach lurched as he killed the connection. He paced the room for a moment. Could he really kill Naruto, even if it did mean saving the world? He knew Naruto would want that. Naruto wouldn't want anyone to suffer to save his life.

Kakashi steeled himself and started down the hallway to the medical ward where Naruto was. "Sakura, I need to talk to you," he said once he found her there. She nodded, turned to Shizune for a moment, and then walked over to the man.

"Yes, sensei?"

Kakashi shook his head slowly. "I need a lethal injection," he said quietly.

Sakura blinked. "What for?"

"It doesn't matter. As your Hokage, I am ordering you to mix a cocktail; one that can stop a heart almost instantly."

"Who's it for?" Sakura asked again; more forcefully.

"It's for Naruto," Kakashi admitted. Her eyes widened. "The other Kage have voted. Naruto's life isn't worth the world, Sakura."

"You can't do this to him!"

"I can and I will!" Kakashi snapped back. "And you will do your duty to the world."

"There has to be another way!"

"There isn't!" Kakashi shouted. "There's no better way! Naruto's been unconscious for thirty-six hours! We don't have any more time, Sakura! The world is _ending_ and we can't stop it!"

"What will killing him do?" Sakura retorted. "It will only slow the inevitable!"

"If anything, it will buy us more time!"

Sakura stared up at her teacher and bit her lip, her green eyes brimming with tears. "You can't do this, sensei," she whispered.

Kakashi shook his head slowly. "I know I can't, but I have to."

Tears fell down the girl's cheeks and she nodded very slowly. "Yessir." She turned and began mixing the drugs. When she was finished, she turned to Kakashi and handed him the syringe. "Go for his heart," she explained. "He'll be dead in a second. The Kyuubi won't even have time to remove the poison."

Kakashi nodded and gently took the syringe. "Thank you," he whispered. He then turned and started for Naruto's room.

"What will I tell Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi stopped walking and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Tell him the truth."

"He'll kill you."

"Then so be it."

Kakashi wrapped the cloak around him and stood up straighter. He never wanted the role of Hokage. He only did it because he wanted to preserve something of Obito in him. He didn't want it because of moments like this; moments where he was forced to put the mission before his comrades. He didn't want to admit that as a child, this choice wouldn't be as hard. He smiled softly as he moved forward. Every Hokage had to make hard choices; they all had to do something drastic to save their people. Most, however, were being asked to sacrifice their own lives, not offer up a sacrificial lamb. He gained more confidence in his step. Killing Naruto would be what he would go down in history as. He would be ridiculed and hated as a Hokage. Many wouldn't understand why he did it, but he would, and he felt that was all that mattered in the end.

He stepped into Naruto's room and sighed. "Hinata, I need you to leave," he told the girl. She turned to Kakashi and cocked her head.

"Yessir," she whispered meekly. She patted Naruto's hand and then left the room. Kakashi turned to face Naruto and frowned.

"Well, this is it, kid," he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

* * *

" _They're going to kill you…" the brunet muttered. He was staring out the window. Naruto didn't bother questioning him. He obviously could see into the realm of the living._

 _Naruto nodded slowly. "That's the best option," he answered._

" _You're okay with that?"_

" _I mean, if it saves the world, I'm not going to argue. Will it save the world?"_

 _The brunet shrugged. "I am no god. I don't know everything."_

 _Naruto closed his eyes. "Will I be here with you, then?" he asked._

" _I'm not sure. It would make sense. I cannot move on to heaven until all this is over. It would stand to reason that you could not either."_

 _Naruto opened his eyes. "Heaven?" he asked._

 _The brunet nodded. "Heaven, the After Life… whatever you call it. We called it Heaven when I was your age."_

" _If there's a Heaven, is there a Hell?" Naruto asked, standing._

" _Yes, but not how you would imagine. Getting there isn't exactly easy, and getting out is impossible. Souls there cannot be resurrected through any jutsu, but that's the thing with eternal damnation; it's eternal."_

 _Naruto walked to the window that the man was looking out of and frowned. The other was seeing things that he could not. All he could see were the legs of people passing by. The other could see things in the world of the living. "I guess death wouldn't be so bad," Naruto muttered. "What was in that scroll you sent me to?"_

" _The answers you seek," the man said with a shrug._

" _Oh, is that all?" Naruto asked, annoyed. He crossed his arms. "I want to go back to my body."_

" _That would make it harder for them to do what they need to do," the man said. "You should stay here and wait." Suddenly the man spun around and gasped. Naruto spun as well, but saw no one in the room with them. "What are_ you _doing here?!" he snapped._

" _Who?" Naruto asked._

" _You can't be here! Get out!" He stopped for a moment like he was listening, then he narrowed his eyes. "It will work! You'll see! This isn't what I wanted, Datenshi! You know that!"_

 _Naruto searched for the man, but couldn't find him. "What's going on?" The brunet turned to Naruto and shoved him. Naruto gasped and fell backward. When he hit the ground, it shattered._

Naruto opened his eyes to Kakashi about the plunge a syringe in his chest. Kakashi gasped and pulled back. "You're awake!"

"He's here!" Naruto snapped, unsure if his teacher even understood. Sure enough Datenshi and his male companion stood in the room.

"That meddling little brat," Datenshi grumbled. Kakashi turned the syringe to the man, but Datenshi merely laughed. "You are all still fools. Are you ready to accept your fate, Seifuku?" Naruto shook his head and grabbed the syringe from Kakashi, holding it to his own chest. "What are you doing with that, child?" Datenshi asked. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Naruto…"

"What? You were about to do it," Naruto snapped. "I'll do it, Datenshi."

"Oh? Go ahead," he said. Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I have the reincarnation of Death standing next to me, child. Do you think I can't bring you back?"

"If you could bring anyone back, then why won't you bring back to original Seifuku?" Naruto snapped.

"It's not that simple. Usually I don't get to pick who I bring back, but if I have the body, things change," the small child muttered.

"Besides, I waited hundreds of years for you. Do you think I won't wait again? I've already lost my mind, child, I don't mind waiting longer!" He rushed Naruto and slammed him against the wall. "Here, let me help you!" He pushed Naruto's hand down, flooding the boy's heart with the drugs. Naruto's eyes widened and he opened his mouth in a silent gasp. Datenshi turned to Haka. The pale child opened his mouth and his eyes rolled back in his head as he let lose an ear-splitting scream.

Naruto gasped and clawed at his burning chest, digging into the flesh. Anyone else would have died, but the boy's power was keeping him alive, but not entirely free of the effects of the poison. After a moment his moves became weak and he went limp. Datenshi dropped his body to the ground while Naruto watched through dead eyes. It was only a moment and then he sat up, gasping for air and coughing.

Datenshi turned to Kakashi. "Don't try to kill him again," he said. "I need this one alive." The two vanished and Kakashi ran to Naruto's side.

"I need… that scroll!" Naruto gasped. Kakashi frowned and nodded slowly. He helped Naruto to his bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

 _Land of Fire: Prehistoric_

The snow was blinding as the sun poured down on it. Sodi stood silently by his mother and his aunt as men lowered the casket down into the grave. He clutched a bright red flower in his hand and closed his eyes. He hardly remembered what had happened. Some bandits came and attacked their caravan and his father, like a fool, had fought them. The merchandise was more important than their lives!

"Sodi…?"

The boy turned to his friend and frowned. He was covered in bandages and was leaning on a walking stick. Haniel wasn't supposed to be there, but they thought it would a good idea for him to meet up in the dead of winter so he could see the world, just once. Sodi's father had fought harder to protect the leader's son than his own. "You shouldn't be here," Sodi snapped.

Haniel shook his head. "I know I shouldn't… But I wanted to see how you were doing."

"How do you think I'm doing?!" Sodi shouted, making his mother turn to them. "My father is dead and it's your fault!" He was shaking with both grief and anger. "Just… go away, Han."

Haniel shook his head. "I don't want you to be alone, So," he whispered. "I'm sorry…"

"You should be," Sodi snapped. Haniel shrank back and frowned. "You think this is a game, don't you? You think going out and seeing the world is amazing! Well, it's not, because people _die_ Haniel, but you don't know what that means! You don't know anything! You are so naive, Han!"

Haniel took a step back. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt, Sodi…" he defended weakly. "Pl-please…!"

"I know you didn't!" Sodi growled. "And that's what makes this so infuriating! You are so much a child, Haniel! There's nothing else you will _ever_ be! You and your family live in luxury while our fathers die for money!"

"That's not all we do!" Haniel defended. "My family has hardships! Father just wants his people to be safe!"

"Then he should be out here dying with us!" Sodi screamed. Haniel gasped and took a step back. "But all he does is worry about us while we die in the field like cattle!"

"I won't be a leader like that!" Haniel retorted.

"Yes you will," Sodi said with a laugh. "You will because that's the easy way. You won't fight for us, but you'll care about us. You'll cry when we die, and celebrate when we're born, but we're just animals to you. We can be replaced easily."

Haniel bowed his head slowly. "I could never replace you, So…" he whispered

Sodi narrowed his eyes at Haniel and shook his head. "I never want to see you again, Haniel."

"Wha-what?!"

"Never speak to me again, and leave my family alone."

"Sodi!"

The boy ran at his friend and put a knife to his throat. "I mean it..."

 _Author's note: AH! Well, this took way longer than expected! My life is all over the place right now! Sorry it's late!_


	7. Heaven

Chapter Seven: Heaven

 _Day 5: Hour Six_

Naruto stared out into the blood bathed landscape. He pulled his hand back into the cover of the cave. When he touched the bloody sunlight, he was fine, but as he looked out, he noticed the death of the plants. If they survived, it was possible there would be no world to save in the end. He shook his head. He couldn't believe that. They had to be fighting for something. This couldn't be meaningless.

He thought about it for a long moment; about everything. How could he defeat someone that couldn't die? Was it possible…? They had scrambled and Naruto had met with the Kage about their choice to kill him for the good of the world. He was oddly okay with that, but death, for him, didn't seem like an option.

He also thought about everything that had led them to this place. The war… the fox… Pain…

Naruto turned to the sky and sighed. Pain… That was the beginning of the end for things, wasn't it? It was the first time he had truly lost someone close to him. It was the first time he had felt the crippling feeling of hopelessness and defeat. He had wanted to give up then. He didn't have to answer to Pain's questions. He didn't know anything.

He also had nothing for Obito when he had killed Neji. He had nothing to give Obito. He had no answers for the man either. Then he also wanted to give up because he had no answers. He couldn't do anything. And now he was on that verge again. He clenched his fists.

"We're running out of time," Naruto whispered.

"Yes… we are," Hinata answered. She came up behind Naruto, staying away from the deadly rays of the blood orb.

Naruto cursed softly. "There's no time left… Can we really stop this?" he asked.

"Why are you doubting yourself now?" Hinata asked.

"I don't know that to do! I can't save them! I can't even die to stop this. They won't even let me do that. What else is there? I can't find the scroll, and I can't stop this!" Naruto growled. "What did we do to deserve this hell? All we ever wanted was peace, and I can't even die for it!"

"Do you want to die?" Hinata whispered.

Naruto turned to her. "Yes!" Naruto snapped, then shook his head after he saw Hinata's eyes widens. "I mean… No. But I'd rather die than let the world suffer for my life," he admitted. "What's the point of saving me now? If you do, I'd be the only one left! I don't want that! I'd rather be the only one dead!"

Hinata turned away. "No one wants you dead, Naruto-kun," she reasoned. "No one thinks you should die for this…" Naruto lifted an eyebrow. "No one." She added that with a hint of concern in her voice. Naruto's harsh expression softened and he walked to her.

"I just don't know what to do," he said quietly. "I don't have the answers for this. I don't have anything! I want to save everyone, but I can't! Look how many are probably already dead!" He felt like he couldn't talk about this to anyone… Not even Sakura. He couldn't go to Sasuke or Kakashi about this. Not even Iruka. What right did he, the Hero of the Leaf, have to be terrified. Even though they had all seen him at his weakest, he didn't feel like he could be scared anymore in front of them. But Hinata… She had seen him doubt his own strength enough times. She had been there to pick up the pieces of his broken mind time and time again. She was the only one he felt he could be truly honest with in times like this… because he had been at his mental weakest, and she had saved him from his own despair.

Hinata looked at him and offered him a warm smile. "You'll find a way… You always do."

Naruto walked closer to Hinata and started to reach for her shoulder, but he stopped. The world was ending, and no matter how this whole ordeal ended, he knew he had no future. "I'm going back out there."

"Don't, Naruto! What's out there that you need?" Hinata said.

Naruto turned back to the wasteland. "He said the answers I need are in that scroll. I just have to find it!" He started again for the saturated land. He was the only one who could go out there.

He didn't tell anyone where he was going, aside from Hinata. They couldn't follow him out there anyway, and Datenshi would leave him alone for the most part. If only one person had to die to save the world, and if it had to be him, then so be it.

* * *

"They won't let him die," Kakashi snapped at the Kage. They would get nowhere if they kept bickering. They had already spoken to Naruto and now Kakashi was trying to bring this whole thing to a close. They shouldn't even be talking about this anymore. Naruto was their problem. All the other Kage could do was pray that they could figure this out in the next forty-eight hours.

This time was different, however. Sakura and Sasuke were in on the meeting as they attempted to come up with some sort of plan.

"We're out of time, Kakashi! What else is there to do?" The Raikage growled. "How are we going to stop this?"

"I don't know! Killing him won't work, so unless someone comes up with a better plan, I hope you all have said your prayers!" Kakashi snapped.

Sasuke looked over at Kakashi from where he was leaning against the wall in the back. "What if we put Naruto in a powerful genjustu until we go passed the deadline?" He suggested. "It shouldn't hurt him."

"Are we really going to bank the lives of everyone on a Uchiha brat?" A retorted.

"Sasuke did help save the world," Gaara pointed out evenly.

"Need I remind you that he almost destroyed it as well?" A asked. Gaara narrowed his eyes.

"Enough," Kakashi snapped. "Incapacitating Naruto won't work. We have to assume that anything we try to do will be futile. We need a concrete answer."

"We could throw him on the moon," Sasuke suggested with a shrug.

Kakashi turned to him. "You aren't helping, Sasuke."

Sasuke pushed himself off the wall. "It's about as preposterous as killing him in his sleep!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "I will do what I must!"

"What happened to never letting your comrades die?" Sasuke asked.

"That's enough, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "We're running out of options, and if killing Naruto won't work, then what will? What will put an end to this?"

There was silence in the room. No one had any ideas. They had tried killing Datenshi, and that hadn't worked, and then they had tried killing Naruto, and the result was the same. They were running out of ideas and time, and no one knew how to stop it.

Sakura looked up from where she was sitting at the table. "What if we kill the boy?" She suggested quietly.

Kakashi turned to her. "Which one?"

"The one who can bring the dead back to life," Sakura answered. "If he's dead, then maybe… maybe they won't be able to revive Naruto…" she added quietly.

"So the plan still involves killing Naruto?" Sasuke asked. He rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall again. "Can we figure out a plan that doesn't involve killing Naruto?"

"Well, Sasuke, I'm open to suggestions," Kakashi snapped.

Sasuke shook his head and crossed his arms. He had no ideas. None of them did. The other Kage remained silent as well. They had no suggestions, no solutions. This wasn't something they were used to. This wasn't an enemy they could defeat on brute force. "We'll convene later. We aren't getting anywhere." The Kage agreed and the screens went black.

"You have no idea," Sasuke said. Kakashi nodded.

Sakura looked down at the table. "What if we… really incapacitated Naruto?" she asked.

Kakashi turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"They can only cure death… Nothing else. I mean, I guess we can assume that they can fix a genjustu," she added, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke looked back at her. "What are you suggesting?"

Sakura shook her head as if she couldn't believe that she was about suggest it. "We could paralyze him."

Kakashi looked at her. "How would that help?"

"It would prevent him from doing anything."

"Paralysis doesn't mean that he won't be able to use his hands," Sasuke pointed out.

Sakura sighed. "I meant from the neck down. That would completely cut him off." Kakashi bowed his head. "They wouldn't be able to fix it because he won't be dead."

"He'll just be the closest we can get without actually killing him!" Sasuke snapped, pushing off the wall. "How is that a solution?"

Kakashi was more calm about it. "Will we be able to reverse it?"

Sakura shook her head. "We would have to do it right… Giving them an out like that would mean that they could exploit it."

Sasuke looked at them both. "Are you really considering this? He'll spend the rest of his life in a hospital bed unable to move!"

"Oh, like you care!" Sakura finally snapped. "How much do you really care about him, Sasuke? He's missing an arm because of you!"

"I'm trying to save him!"

"And we're trying to save the world!" Kakashi came back. "Don't argue with us, Sasuke! I don't want to do anything else to Naruto, but we're out of options and out of time! I don't have the answers!"

Sasuke turned on him. "And what if you're wrong?" he said. "What if that won't help us? We can't just paralyze him!"

"Either it helps us or it doesn't," Kakashi said. "Either he's dead or we're dead!"

"He's not here."

The trio turned to see Hinata standing in the doorway. She had her head bowed and eyes closed with her arms in front of her chest. Sasuke stepped towards her. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head slowly. "He said something about a scroll and left."

Kakashi threw his hands up. "Well, that's great! We can't go get him!"

"So you can paralyze him," Sasuke said. "Maybe he has an idea."

Kakashi sat at the table and looked at Hinata. "What else did he say?" She shrugged, but Kakashi could tell she was hiding something from them. "Hinata, we need to know what's happening. What did he say?"

Hinata bowed her head. "He felt like he wasn't himself. He just seemed distant, like he's not here anymore. He's upset."

"Of course he is!" Sakura snapped, standing up. "He can we expect him to be anything _but_ upset? The world is ending!"

Kakashi bowed his head. They had nothing and they had no solution. Now they couldn't even do anything because Naruto had taken off. Kakashi sighed. "We only have one solution right now. Sakura, talk to Tsunade and figure out how we can safely paralyze him."

"That's not a solution!" Sasuke shouted.

"It's all we have!" Kakashi shouted back, slamming his hand on the table. "I don't have the answers, Sasuke! I don't know what we're supposed to do, but we will do everything we can to save what world we have left, and if that means crippling Naruto and putting him in a hospital bed the rest of his life, then so be it!"

Sasuke spun and turned to his teacher. Kakashi stood to face his student. "That's not a solution," Sasuke repeated. "And I will find a real one!" He stormed out of the room as Kakashi watched him go.

He turned to Sakura. "Go to Tsunade. Until Sasuke comes up with a better solution, this is the only one we have, and Hinata…" The girl turned to him as Sakura pushed passed her. "Wait for him to come back and then take him to a secluded place; away from Sasuke."

"Yessir…" Hinata bowed and backed out of the room.

Kakashi slammed his hand on his table. "Damn it!"

* * *

Naruto stared down at his bleeding hands. He and several clones had been digging for hours, but they had come up with nothing for their efforts. He all but just wanted to give up. He had no solution. He had no answers. "I can't save them!" Naruto shouted to the ground. "I can't save anyone!"

No answers came. His clones were now staring at him, concerned, but only because Naruto was concerned for himself. "I don't have the solution. I don't have the answers! The world is ending! What do I do?" Naruto shouted at the clones. They just stared back at him without moving. Eyes were just looking back at him, expecting him to save them all. The ruined village was beneath his feet, but that scroll was nowhere to be found.

Naruto dropped to his knees. He didn't know. Nothing made sense anymore. He slammed his fist on the ground, then he continued punching the ground. The clones watched him without moving. Naruto punched the ground until his knuckles were bloodied and he could see the bone. Kurama was screaming at him in his head to stop, but he couldn't. He punched and dug, skinning his hands as he did.

Finally, he made another clone and it helped him perform a Rasengan. He slammed the glowing ball into the ground, exploding the hole into a crater. He collapsed and looked at his hands. He could see the bone and muscle. He rocked back and fell onto his back to stare at the blood red sky. He felt like screaming, but he didn't. Instead he rolled over to the side and looked at the side of the crater.

He blinked. His hand brushed against something at the bottom of the crater. Naruto sat up and looked at it. His eyes widened. He dug around the box in the ground, ignoring the pain in his hands as he did so. He pulled the small box from the ground and brushed off the dirt. It was locked, but the lock was so rusted away that Naruto figured he didn't need a key. He yanked the rusted lock and opened the box. Inside the box was an old, worn scroll.

He smiled and reached for it, but when he touched it his vision faded to white.

 _Land of Fire:_

 _Prehistoric_

Sodi stared at the farm he had built. He was older now; a young man. A child near the age of two was playing with a dog in the yard. His daughter. A boy at the age of four was walking a young colt towards the barn. His son. His wife was out in the fields with the cattle. Beside him was a large dog, watching the farm with him.

Sodi closed his eyes. He felt like he should be happy. He had a family… But as he turned to the house on the hill and knew that the man living there had no children. He knew that he was the cause of it. He knew that maybe if he had forgiven Haniel, then he could have maybe forgiven himself. Sodi bowed his head and started down the stairs from the porch. The dog barked and ran towards the young girl and her dog. Sodi smiled.

He coughed and doubled over, blood spilling out of his mouth. "Daddy!" The boy shouted. Sodi lifted his hand.

"Go get your mother!" he called. The boy nodded and hurried into the field. Sodi fell to his knees, coughing louder. More blood came up and he vomited. The dogs were barking at him now. This was his punishment. He had grown warmer away from Haniel while his childhood friend had suffered. Both Haniel's parents had died on the same day, forcing the kind young boy into a leadership position long before he was ready, but still Sodi didn't try to mend their friendship.

His wife helped him up and carried him to his bed. The sickness would take him soon. There was nothing that could be done. The doctors had no cure for the disease, but considering no one else in the family was ill, they didn't think it would spread.

He spent the next few days in his bed, gasping for breath as the doctors came, but only to tell them what they already knew; he was dying. It was sundown of the third day. He was drenched in sweat and his chest was burning from all the coughing. He just wanted to die.

"So…"

Sodi lifted his eyes. "Han…" he gasped. "What are you doing here…?"

Haniel smiled. He had grown into a fine young man. Sodi was impressed. "I heard you were sick. I wanted to come and see you again."

Sodi didn't talk for a moment. He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry… Han," he whispered.

Haniel walked towards him. "Don't worry about it. I'm okay."

"Now…" Sodi said. "But not back then… What I said back then. I didn't mean it. We do live the lives we're supposed to, but they don't have to be miserable."

Han nodded slowly. "I know… We're all tied to destiny… Like a tether! And now you're going to die! It's not fair, So! You have a family. I should be the one dying here, not you! I'm the one who's alone!"

"The world isn't fair, Han…" Sodi whispered. His eyes rolled back. "It's not, but it's who and what we are. That's it. I've lived a good life… Now, go live yours."

Haniel shook his head. "I want to change it! This world is terrible! Your children will grow up fatherless! How is that fair?"

"It's not…" Sodi said. "But that's it." Haniel stood slowly and started for the door. "Forget about me, Han. Find someone to love."

He stopped at the door and bowed his head. "I already did…" and then he was gone.

* * *

" _I died the next morning…"_

 _Naruto looked around. Instead of the house, he was standing at the farm. The scene was one several years later. The daughter was now a teen, sitting on the porch with a boy. The son was riding the colt, now a large, beautiful white stallion. The wife was coming up to the house with two puppies running at her feet. The older dogs were resting on the porch._

" _They moved on without me. Eventually, my family line died out, sometime after the hidden villages came about. The last of my line died in one of your world wars."_

 _Naruto looked over at the brunet. "Why am I here? Who are you?"_

 _The brunet smiled sadly. "I am Sodi," he said. "I died and Datenshi continued living. His family line never died, but he never had any children."_

 _Naruto turned as the horse whinnied. It had left the son and was now coming towards them. Another brown horse was coming towards them as well. Once they got there, Sodi mounted the brown horse and Naruto did the same to the white one. He had never ridden a horse before, but it felt natural. Sodi didn't speak as they rode towards the town. Now Naruto saw other people, but they were all frozen in time._

 _Sodi continued even as they got into the town. No one was moving. "I don't understand!" Naruto called. "What happened?"_

" _Haniel lived the rest of his life regretting it," Sodi said. "He regretted my father's death… he regretted everything that was his fault. He became cold, and bitter and then he wanted to end it all, but suicide wasn't the option."_

" _His option was to destroy the world?" Naruto asked._

" _In a word… yes…" Sodi answered. "Haniel wanted the world to be fair, and the only way for the world to be fair is if the world didn't exist… But I never came back… That is… until you were born. Then I came back. I wanted to come back here; back home, but I've spent the past few hundred years in that house, waiting for you."_

 _Naruto looked down at his hand. It now held the scroll; the answer. "I don't know what to do."_

" _Yes you do," Sodi said. "It's the same thing I did."_

" _Die?" Naruto asked._

 _Sodi shook his head. "No. You know what to do, Naruto. You know how this is going to end… the only way it_ can _end."_

 _Naruto stared at the scroll and closed his eyes._

When he opened them, he was staring up at the red sky. He sat up and looked down at the scroll in his hand. "Two stones eroded by a river over thousands of years…" He opened the scroll and looked at the faded text on it. He frowned. It was never that simple. Was there truly no end to this? Was there really no way to stop the end of the world? There _had_ to be a conqueror. Someone had to conquer the world.

He stood and started back for the cave.

 _Author's note: OH MY GOSH! I am in Japan and moving to Japan was a long process! I'm here now and I really want to finish this story! I know it's going to be SUPER short compared to_ What You Wish For, _but that's okay! We're here to tell a story and move on! Right? I'm REALLY sorry, guys! I didn't mean for this to take so long!_


End file.
